


Secrets and Liars

by msmarvel1 (quietprofanity)



Series: Lust in Love and Vengeance Trilogy [3]
Category: Spider-Man (Comicverse)
Genre: Also I Had No Idea How Drugs Worked Either, Drug Use, M/M, The Author Wrote This as a Sixteen Year Old Virgin I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 07:58:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12361146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietprofanity/pseuds/msmarvel1
Summary: Peter and Harry work through their new relationship -- and some of their old problems.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said in the tags, I wrote this when I was sixteen and am bringing it here more for the sake of preservation than anything else. I'm sure everything around the drug use is hilariously wrong. So I apologize in advance and ... I don't know. Enjoy it, I guess.
> 
> I had some old friends who beta'd for me, some of whom I don't think would want their name mentioned again. Thanks for your help, though.

~*~*~

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the New York apartment, causing the sleeper's eyes to flick open and closed. Harry Osborn stretched and sat up. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the light. Then, almost on instinct, he glanced to the other side of the pullout couch.

No one was there.

A cold jolt ran through Harry's body. Where was-

"Peter?" Harry's eyes glanced about the room. "Peter!"

When no answer came, the young man rose from his "bed" and pulled on his robe, being careful of his bandaged arm (a souvenir from his accident one month ago). He walked into the kitchen.

"Peter?"

Again, there came no answer. Harry almost called out again, but then he saw the note on the table. He picked it up and opened it. "Hey Har," he read. "Sorry I left but I got a call from the Bugle. I'll be back in time for us to go out for breakfast. Love, Peter."

Harry sighed with relief. He couldn't say that he wasn't upset about his lover leaving, but at least he told him where he was going this time.

The young man closed the note and sat down at the table. The Bugle, huh? Was that where Peter always went? It made sense, he guessed. Perhaps that was why Peter kept getting into trouble so often, like that day when those hitmen came looking for him at their apartment or that time when he went chasing after an amnesiac Spider-Man and everyone thought he was kidnapp-

Spider-Man?

Harry laid his hand on his cast. He didn't know why, but something about the hero ... disturbed him? No, not that. It wasn't a bad feeling. Not anything like the sick, troubling feeling he got whenever anyone mentioned the Green Goblin. Yet there was something hidden about them. Something important. But what?

"It's probably nothing," Harry told himself. The doctor said that he might experience a sort of deja vu about things that weren't necessarily important. Yet the feeling was so strong, so persistent. He didn't know what to think.

Oh well. There would be plenty of time to decide. Right now, Harry just felt so ... happy.

Ever since the accident at the warehouse Harry Osborn had been absolutely miserable. For the past month Peter had been avoiding Harry like the plague, and his former lover's aloof attitude was a constant source of confusion. Harry had no idea what happened to make Peter act that way. Perhaps Gwen's death caused the aloofness, but that didn't make much sense. Even if Gwen was dead, why wouldn't Peter talk to him? Heck, the guy rarely even looked at him.

It took Harry all of his courage to talk to Peter yesterday, but oh, he was so glad when he did so. The joy in Peter's face when he read Harry's "test paper" sent waves of near-ecstasy through Harry's body. His soul sang as he held his best friend in his arms.

Harry sat back and sighed as he remembered last night. The taste of his mouth, the smell of his hair, the very feel of Peter against him still held Harry in thrall.

God, he was so happy to have him back. With both Gwen and his father gone he'd been so lonely. He didn't want to talk to Mary Jane these days and Flash had been a bit out of it ever since his time in the army, so he wasn't any help. All that sustained him this past month was the fleeting hope that perhaps Peter hadn't really forgotten him.

That ... and one other thing.

Harry walked into his room and picked up one of the pillows on his bed. The pillow was slit; he reached inside, pulling out two joints.

The pot didn't work as well as it used to. No, it worked a lot better back in high school in the days when Jake Hayes first shared his "stash" with him. Unfortunately, that thing people said about your first high being your best was true. Smoking pot just didn't give him the same high as snorting or dropping acid anymore. He actually smoked it because he saw it as a way to cut back. Harry figured the two ODs were a pretty clear message from the man upstairs. Like it or not, he knew he had to quit.

Harry told himself he would quit for real the day he won back Peter. Now the day had come. His palms sweat as he wrapped his hand around the joints. Maybe one more wouldn't hurt. No. Peter was coming back soon. He didn't have time. but then again Peter was always late. Just one more. That would be it.

"No!" he said suddenly. "I said today."

He sighed. Yes, he said today. He had to keep to it. He didn't want to go to the hospital again. He didn't want to piss away all of his father's hard-earned money on this garbage. Today. This would stop today.

With that, Harry took the joints into the bathroom. He dropped them into the toilet, sighing with relief as they spun down and disappeared.

~*~*~

"Whenever I'm with him something inside starts to burnin' and I'm filled with desire."

Mary Jane's voice rang out through the room. As she sang along with the girls on the radio, the young woman brushed her long, red hair and wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs from upstairs would yell at her again for playing her music too loud. Ah, forget it. She was having fun. That was all that mattered.

"Could it be a devil in me or is this the way love's-"

The phone let out a shrill ring. Mary Jane groaned in irritation and turned off her stereo. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

Ring! Ring!

"I'm coming. I'm coming."

Ring! Ring!

Mary Jane snatched up the phone. This just better not be the Jacobs. If they didn't leave her alone ...

"Hello! You've reached the apartment of near-celebrity actress Mary Jane Watson. If you're here for a date, please stay on the line, but if you're here to complain about the Supremes please hang up the phone and pis-"

"Mary Jane?"

"Oh!" Mary Jane's cheeks flushed as red as her hair when she realized who had called her. "God, I ... I'm so sorry Mrs. Parker. It's just the neighbors."

"Bothering you about your music again?"

"You got it," said Mary Jane sadly.

"Ah," agreed May. "And the Supremes. What a shame. I like them myself."

"Well, I always knew you had great taste," Mary Jane smiled as she pushed a lock of red hair behind her ear.

May laughed, but then her voice grew serious. "Mary Jane, there's something I have to ask you."

Mary Jane bit her lip in an effort not to groan. She would never want to be rude to Mrs. Parker, but she had heard this upcoming question at least seven times in the past month. "No, Mrs. Parker. I'm sorry, but I haven't really talked to Peter these days and I don't know how he's doing."

"Are you sure, Mary Jane? It's so hard to get a hold of him lately. I really worry about him."

"I know, Mrs. Parker. Look, I wish I had something to tell you, but I hardly ever see Peter and whenever I do, he doesn't talk to me. I'm afraid I can't really do anything."

May sighed. "No, I suppose you can't. I'm sorry. I'm just concerned for him. After what happened to poor Gwen and that accident in the warehouse. It ... it must be so hard for him."

"Yeah," Mary Jane hung her head.

There was a pause on the other end. "Well ... if you think anything's wrong."

"I'll call. Don't worry."

"Thank you Mary Jane. You're such a sweet girl. Good-bye."

"Bye." Mary Jane sighed as she hung up the phone. She would never admit it to May, but she was really worried. Peter had always been aloof, but these days he was practically invisible. He was absent from college more often (if that was possible) and whenever he did show up, he didn't talk to anyone. Or he didn't talk to her, at least, despite her numerous attempts to talk to him.

In a way, Mary Jane wasn't surprised. Of course Peter would be upset. Anyone who lost someone they loved would be heartbroken. And of course, Mary Jane knew that Peter's lover was not only violently murdered, but she was murdered right in front of his very eyes.

Mary Jane knew Peter was Spider-Man. She knew he was there when Gwen died, when the Green Goblin knocked her from the bridge. The shock of the fall had ended her brief life, and he was there to see it all.

She couldn't imagine what that must have been like. For her news of her best friend's death was bad enough. At least she didn't have to see it.

Mary Jane sighed. She wished there was something she could do for him. Peter was usually so strong, so together. If he fell apart because of this. God, what would May do? What would any of them do?

The young woman rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't think about this any more. Mary Jane glanced at her stereo. With a quick movement she flipped on the power switch. Her voice once again rang out through the room as danced.

"It's been a hard day's night and I've been working like a dog."

~*~*~

Spider-Man's hazel eyes glanced about the alleyway. When his spider-sense made no "noise," the hero smiled beneath his mask, and then removed it. He slung his web-pack off his back, pulling out the clothes inside.

Peter Parker dressed quickly, throwing his pants and shirt over his costume. He then slipped on his shoes and walked out of the alleyway to the front door of the apartment complex. Maybe he should have waited until Harry woke up to go out but he didn't want to take him to breakfast and not be able to pay for it.

"Oh well," Peter thought as he opened the front door. "I have the money now, don't I?" Jonah had actually been generous today. Well, generous for Jonah, that is. This time Peter received what the pictures were really worth instead of only half that amount.

The young man shrugged as he climbed the stairs to his floor. Eh, what could he do? Sure, the pay stunk, but in many ways working for the Daily Bugle was his best bet. At least Jonah didn't pry into his work like that nosy Bushkin guy from the Globe. Yes, the Bugle pay sucked, but at least there his secret was safe.

Well, enough of that. Peter smiled as he opened his door, marveling at how the biggest problem in his life was something simple like Jonah's stinginess. Now he had better, more important things to think about.

"Harry!" Peter called as he shut the door behind him. "Are you awake?"

No answer.

"Harry?"

"I'm up!" a voice called back. "I'm in the bathroom. I'll be out in a sec."

"Okay."

Peter checked the clock and wondered if his physics test was today or next week. Then Harry entered the room, still pulling a green, long-sleeved shirt over his head.

"Here I am," Harry adjusted one of the sleeves so it rolled up behind his cast. "Ready?"

"Um, yeah." Peter blinked as Harry's fingers nervously tapped against his cast. "Is anything wrong?"

"Wrong? No, of course not." Harry wrapped his arms around Peter's waist and quickly kissed his friend's lips. "Why would anything be wrong?"

"I don't know," Peter said as he hugged Harry back. "You looked nervous, that's all."

Harry shook his head. "I'm just hungry." He took his jacket from the hook on the door.

Peter stared at Harry for a moment. He certainly didn't look "just hungry" but ... "Are you mad at me? I'm sorry I left early but you did sleep pretty late, so-"

"Oh, no. That's okay. I'm fine, Peter." Harry took Peter's hand in his own. "Let's go."

"Well o ... kay," Peter stopped as he realized Harry was holding his hand.

Harry saw where Peter was looking. The two said nothing for many minutes, each waiting for the other to say what they both were thinking.

It was Harry who eventually gave in. "Did you not want people to know?"

"I..." Peter sighed. "I actually hadn't really thought about that. I mean, I knew I had to tell Aunt May and everyone sometime but ..."

"Yeah," Harry nodded.

There was another silence.

"I ..." Peter said.

"Uh," Harry said at the same time.

The two laughed.

"Let's decide later."

"Yeah," Peter laughed as Harry opened the door and they stepped out into the world.

~*~*~

The cafe they eventually picked (well, Peter eventually picked) had to be the ugliest cafe in New York. The walls were plastered with molding yellow wallpaper. Puke-pink carpet covered the floor. The stench of cigarette smoke filled the air. Then there were the windows.

"When was the last time they cleaned this, anyway?" Harry asked as he stared at the grime that circled the window like a black halo. "1933?"

"We agreed to go to a place where nobody would see us." Peter said as he swatted a fly on the table. "What self-respecting person would go here? Besides, the price is cheap and they make really great pork roll."

Harry wasn't convinced. "Thanks, but I'd rather pay $25 for pancakes in some place not crawling with cockroaches-"

"Where do you see cockroaches?"

"Well. nowhere. But the place just looks like it has cockroaches."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on."

"No, I mean it. I don't care how great the food is. We could do much better than this. There's this really great place downtown. Now that has great food. We can go there for dinner one day. It's a bit pricey, but I could take care of that. At least it's clean." Harry noticed Peter's eyes were fixed on the ceiling. "Peter, are you listening?"

"I hear every word, princess."

"You- " Harry realized exactly what Peter said an stopped. He rolled his eyes and Peter started laughing. It didn't take Harry long to join him.

"You are dead," Harry wheezed. "You are so dead."

Peter just laughed again. "I had to do it."

"Oh, bull. You didn't have to do anything."

"Bah. You should have listened to yourself."

Harry sighed. Then he smiled. "God, I missed you."

Peter blushed a bit. "Me too. I. I'm sorry. I should have just talked to you. I just ... when I found out you didn't know ... well, everything about Gwen and your dad, well I just didn't want to dump some other bomb on you."

"No, no," Harry shook his head. "God, I ... I wanted you with me so much. You're, this is going to sound really stupid, but you're like my rock, Peter. You're something I can always rely on. You hold everything together."

"Nah. In name only," Peter said, making a reference to the meaning of his first name. "I don't hold anything together."

"What are you talking about? You have a lot more on the ball than me."

"No I don't ..."

"You do. You're practically a genius. You have a full college scholarship."

"That I'm in danger of losing."

"The fact that you got it in the first place says something," Harry pointed out. "You've been working for a major metropolitan newspaper since you were sixteen."

"For a cantankerous jerk-off who hates me."

"Minor detail. Plus, you've financially supported your aunt ever since your uncle died. Do you think I could have pulled that off?"

Peter shrugged. "Anyone could do it if they had to."

"No, they couldn't. I couldn't. I ... I'm not like you, Pete. Things come easy for you."

Peter burst into laugther. "No, no. Things ... they don't come easy for me. They ... they really don't."

"Well," Harry shrugged. "You make it look easy."

"I ..." Peter stopped as the waitress laid the pork rolls out on the table. "Oh, thanks."

"No problem," the girl smiled and walked away.

Peter turned back to Harry. "You're in for a treat here."

"Eh," Harry shrugged as he picked up one half of the sandwich and took a bite. "I still say that we should check out that ... wow."

Harry's reaction almost had Peter rolling on the ground. "Perfect. Perfect! What did I tell you?"

The young man took a napkin and wiped some of the cheese from his mouth. "I ... Okay, this food is spectacular. I'm sorry I doubted you."

Peter kept laughing. Harry drank a sip of water. "But I'm serious about that place downtown. Actually, um ... I have to go up there soon to meet with Clapp."

"Clapp?"

"Randolph Clapp. He's the lawyer for my Dad's estate. We have to go over the last bit of the proceedings."

"Oh." Peter said warily. "How's that going?"

Harry sighed. "Well enough. I ... I don't know. Nothing is really going wrong, of course, but I ... I just hate going through the whole process, you know?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, I bet."

"I miss him so much, Peter. It's ... it's just not fair. We both survived. Why couldn't he?"

"Um ..." Peter's palms were sweating as he stumbled over his words. "Well, sometimes these things just-"

"Oh my God. Do you two follow me everywhere?"

Peter and Harry looked up to meet the gaze of the tall, muscular young man who had just spoken. Peter groaned in irritation.

"Oh no," he complained. "I hope this guy doesn't talk to us, Harry. He looks like a jerk."

"Bite me, Parker."

"I'll stick with my sandwich."

"Hey, Flash," Harry outstretched his hand, which the other young man shook kindly. "How've you been?"

Flash shrugged. "Aw, same old, same old. Trying to find something to do now that Uncle Sam no longer needs me. How about you? I see you're talking to Puny, the boy genius again."

"Ha-ha," said Peter. "Didn't they teach you any new insults in the army?"

The ex-soldier just smiled. "Been doing better, Peter?"

"Yeah, I ..." Peter glanced at Harry. "I've been doing better."

"Good," Flash nodded. "I miss her, too."

"We all miss her," added Harry.

Nobody said anything for a minute. Flash ran a hand through his sandy-colored hair. "Well, I gotta go. This place is a dump. Great pork roll, but a dump. See you idiots in class."

"Bye."

"See ya."

The front door let out an ear-splitting creak as Flash left the cafe. Harry sat back and folded his arms. "A place where nobody would see us, huh?"

"Shut up and eat."

~*~*~

A fresh blast from the air conditioner blew through the bank, making Richard Towers shudder. He groaned in irritation. This was ridiculous. It was almost winter, for God's sake! Why couldn't they get someone to fix that damn heater?

Richard just sighed as he handed the woman a white envelope filled with what was presumably her money for the week. "Have a nice day, ma'am."

"You too, sir."

The woman slipped the envelope into her purse and left. The bell on the door sang (ding-ding!) as it opened and closed. Richard rubbed the edge of his left eyebrow with his index finger. Now there were only about thirty more customers until lunch. Oh, what he would do for just a little heat.

Ding-ding! Richard gave put on his widest smile possible as a man in a black trench coat entered the bank. "Good morning, si-"

Richard felt, rather than saw, the large yellow blast as it smacked against his chest. His cry rang out through the room as 10,000 volts of electricity fried his body, stopping his heart. He heard the screams of his co-workers as he fell to the floor, then an elevator version of his favorite song. Then he heard nothing.

Before any of the tellers could say or do a thing, the man in the trench coat shot a blast of electricity at the ceiling, blowing out the lights. A woman screamed as the room went dim.

"Shut up!" The man threw off his coat and hat, revealing the flamboyant green and yellow costume of Electro. "I want everything you got and I want it in 15 minutes. Anyone who calls the police or does anything stupid ends up like that guy. Now, move it!"

~*~*~

An hour earlier, Peter Parker sat on a bench on the ESU campus. He was in a decidedly worse mood. Just a few minutes ago, Professor Warren had given him another speech on how his grades were not only as bad as Peter expected, but also near failing. God, and after the money from this morning Peter hoped his life might take an easier turn. No such luck.

He sighed. Oh well, he just had to make more time to study and get to class more often. That's all. No two ways around-

"Guess who!" a voice exclaimed as two hands covered Peter's eyes.

Peter sighed sadly. "Hey, Mary Jane."

The confused redhead removed her hands from Peter's eyes and sat behind him on the bench. "Why so glum?"

"Oh, um ..." Peter scratched the back of his head. His heart sank as he recalled one day many months ago when Gwen had done the same thing to him. He guessed "Mary Jane" that time too, much to his then-girlfriend's chagrin. "Nothing," said Peter. "You just reminded me of someone."

"Oh, uh. okay," Mary Jane said as she picked at a pinky nail. "Did you want to be alone?"

"Huh? Oh no, I ... well ... I'm just waiting here for Harry."

"Oh!"

"Y-Yeah."

"I see," Mary Jane pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "So you two are talking again? That's great!"

Peter laughed. "Yeah, it is really great. I'm glad."

"Well good. Good." Mary Jane said, her head nodding with every "good." "I'm very happy for you. You know, I thought that with all the stuff that's going on with both of you."

"Yeah."

"W-Well good," Mary Jane repeated. "Ha-Has it been getting easier?"

"You know, it actually has," Peter smiled and leaned back on the bench, finally becoming used to the conversation. "I'm a lot happier. It is actually getting easier."

Mary Jane nodded. "Yeah, well. I know you're no stranger to these sorts of things, but I hear it's always easier if you have people around you who love you, you know?"

Peter sighed. "Yeah, I do know."

Mary Jane paused. "Do you have someone who loves you?"

The young man's face blanched as he looked at Mary Jane.

"Oh no, no!" Mary Jane exclaimed, her eyes wide as realized what Peter thought she meant. "I ... I didn't mean. I wasn't trying to ..."

Peter and Mary Jane laughed.

"I'm sorry," giggled Mary Jane.

"It's okay. But uh ..." Peter paused as he rubbed his right eye. "I actually do have someone."

"Wow ... so soon?"

"Yeah." Peter leaned forward, resting his elbows on his lap. "I ... I know it sounds bad but ... well, it's really working out. It's hard to explain why but I feel good about. I ... I really want it to work."

"Ah," Mary Jane crossed her right leg over her left. "It's ... it's not Eloise, is it?"

"Elo-oh!" Peter laughed, remembering his failed date with one of the girls in his class. "No, no. Not her. We ... I don't think she liked me too much."

Mary Jane shook her head. "She didn't. She told me she had more fun getting root canal than going out with you."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, I know. She's always been pretty nasty. So anyway, is it someone I know?"

"Yep," Peter smiled.

"Oooh! Jane?"

"No."

"Sarah?"

"No."

"Rosalyn?"

"Who?"

"Okay. Lisa?"

"No."

"Marissa?"

"No."

"That girl who sits next to you in that one class ...?"

"Uh-uh."

"You sure?"

"Very."

"Who is it then?"

"Secret."

"Aw," Mary Jane pouted. "Can't you at least give me a clue?"

"Nope."

"Does her name begin with an 'S,' at least?"

"I'm not telling."

"She isn't someone I've already mentioned, is she?"

"No."

Mary Jane sighed and threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine. I'm beginning to see why Eloise doesn't like you."

Peter chuckled and once again he and Mary Jane broke out into laughter.

"Well, someone's having fun."

Peter and Mary Jane stopped as Harry Osborn walked towards them. Peter's heart sank a bit when he saw his lover's clearly displeased expression.

"Um, hi Harry," said Peter. "We were just talking."

Harry's blue eyes were still locked on Mary Jane's green ones. "Yeah, I saw that."

"Har-"

"It's okay," interrupted Mary Jane. The young woman stood up, adjusting her dress as she did so. "I was just leaving. I'm a busy girl, after all. Got plenty of places to go!"

"I'm sure you do," said Harry, the tone of his voice quickly growing harsh.

Mary Jane's brow furrowed a bit. She coughed and smiled, her annoyance melting away. "Well, see you guys later."

Harry still frowned as the young woman walked away. Peter sighed and stood up. He started to put a hand on Harry's shoulder, stopped, and then reconsidered, thinking the gesture wouldn't be too obvious after all. "We really weren't. She just wanted to talk."

"Look," Harry snapped. "Can we just go?"

Peter hung his head. "Sure."

With that, the two men walked down the street. Peter stole a glance at Harry's face as he stepped up beside him. Still angry. "Great," he thought. "Looks like some things still haven't changed."

After many painful minutes, Harry finally spoke. "You know that meeting with Clapp?"

"Uh-huh."

"It's tonight at seven." Harry turned to his friend, his face finally cheerful. "Want to come with me? I know you don't like going out twice a day, but I don't want to leave you alone all night."

His companion smiled, happy the incident was forgotten. "Well, sure. I-" Peter stopped. His spider-sense blared as a police car zoomed by, lights flashing and siren screaming. "Where's he going?" Peter wondered aloud.

"The bank robbery, I bet."

"What?"

"I heard it on Flash's radio a little while ago," said Harry. "Apparently someone. Electric-Man?"

"Electro?" gasped Peter.

"Yeah, that's it. He robbed a bank. The police have him trapped inside, but he's got hostages. That kind of situation."

Peter exhaled and shook his head at the thought of those innocent hostages. God, the situation would be bad enough normally, but with a dangerous man like Electro. "I have to get over there," he sighed.

"What?" Harry looked at Peter as if his friend just told him he had to go to Jupiter. That sick feeling was coming back, that feeling that told him there was something he had to remember. "Wh-Why?"

"I ..." Peter paused, but then the answer was obvious. "To take pictures! Yeah, th-this is really big news. Jonah might want me over there."

"Oh!" Harry nodded, the sick feeling dying away. To take pictures. Of course! How silly of him. "Let me give you a ride."

"No, that's okay," Peter insisted as he started to walk away. "I-I can get there pretty fast by myself."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, positive." Peter started to run away. "Bye! See you tonight."

"Um, bye ... uh, Peter?"

He turned around.

"Be careful."

Peter smiled. "Iyay ovelay ouyay!" he called out. Then, he was gone.

Harry blinked. "'Iyay.' Oh! Pig Latin. Weirdo. Yeah, I love you too." With that, Harry turned and began to walk back to his car, but not before he passed a very familiar alleyway.

"Psst!"

Harry sighed as he turned in the direction of the voice. It's owner, a slim black man with an Afro, stepped forward. His wide lips were curled into a smile.

"Well, well," he said. "If it isn't my favorite customer. I've got something real tasty for you."

"Yeah? Well, I don't want it anymore," Harry frowned. "I gave up that stuff."

The man snorted. "Sure you did, just like last time, right? Always happens like that. Guy says he won't do it and swears off the goods but two weeks later motherfucker is crawling back, begging for a fix like a fucking baby. Cut the straight-arrow shit, Osborn." The man put his hand on Harry's shoulder. He opened his other palm, revealing two fresh joints. "You know what you want."

Harry just pushed himself away. "What I want is for you to leave me alone. I'm through. I mean it this time."

"They all mean it," said the man. "Don't stop the bastards. C'mon, quit fooling yourself." He held out the joints again. "You know you want 'em."

Harry's eyes stole a quick glance at the pot. Then he shook his head. "No. No, not this time." With that, the young man turned and walked away.

"You'll be back!" the man called. "I wouldn't be surprised if I see your white ass tomorrow. 'Through.' Heh. People like you are never 'through.'"

~*~*~

The authorities already had the place "covered." A police line, complete with barricades and yellow "Do Not Cross" tape, was set up in a semi-circle around the doors of the bank. The entire block was covered with cars and people; not only cops, but also camera crews and various rubberneckers who seemed to have nothing better to do.

As time wore on and the tension in the crowd continued to rise, Capt. Jean DeWolffe grew ever more irritated. The policewoman sighed and turned to her dispatcher.

"Any word from Dillon on the state of the hostages?" DeWolffe asked the slight brunette.

"No, he ... wait!" The woman lifted her walkie-talkie to her ear. "Yes ... good."

"What is it?"

"Dillon says he's coming out."

DeWolffe sighed and adjusted her trademark beret. "Good. Let's just hope it's really to surrender. I'd hate to think of what a powerful man like Electro could do in a situation like this."

In less than a minute after DeWolffe spoke, the doors of the bank swung open and Electro emerged, followed by six gunmen. DeWolffe held up her megaphone to her mouth. "All right, Dillon. It's all over. Tell your men to drop their weapons and put their hands over their heads."

The masked man simply smiled. "Over, Miss DeWolffe? I said I'd come out." Electro lifted his fists, which were glowing brightly and beginning to sparkle, over his head. "I said nothing about surrendering."

A cold terror grabbed DeWolffe's heart, but it didn't stop her. "Tell them to shoot!" she called to the dispatcher. "Quick, before he-"

DeWolffe's words were broken off as a thick clump of webbing shot down from above, covering Electro's eyes and stunning him, if only for a moment. The policewoman smiled grimly as she saw the red and blue figure crawl down from the roof of the bank.

Spider-Man had arrived.

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Eugene “Flash” Thompson sighed as he adjusted the radio once again. Damn, it still wasn’t working. He’d lost the signal to his favorite station when he left lunch and hadn’t been able to get it back since. He had tried everything. Shaking the radio. Adjusting the station button. Screaming, “Work, you stupid thing!” at the ungrateful machine. But eventually, Flash gave up. He slammed the radio down on his lap. “Aw, forget it,” he muttered to himself.

“Got a problem, soldier boy?”

Flash looked up at the speaker and smiled. “Hi Mary Jane. Yeah, I can’t get this radio on the right station.”

Mary Jane sat with Flash on the bench. “What station do you want?”

“Ninety-five point seven.”

“Okee-doke.” Mary Jane took the radio from Flash’s lap and placed it on her own. She turned a knob and in mere moments irritating static was replaced by smooth rock.

Flash blinked as he took back his radio. “How’d you do that?”

Mary Jane shrugged. “I just turned the knob.”

“But that’s what I was doing.”

“What knob were you turning?”

Flash pointed to it.

“Flash, that’s the tuner.”

“Oh…” The young man hung his head sheepishly. “Well, it’s still new. I have a little trouble with it.”

“Uh-huh…” Mary Jane said, her tone a bit disbelieving.

“Thanks anyway, MJ.”

“No problem.” Mary Jane smiled and moved closer to Flash. “So what are you listening to?”

“News, actually.” Flash placed the radio in between them. “Harry and I were listening to it earlier. Electro has some hostages in a bank near here.”

Mary Jane exhaled. “Whoo… sounds pretty exciting.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Flash nodded. “Maybe they’ll give us an update when the song is over.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Mary Jane stared at the ground, swinging her feet back and forth like a small child. “So, you were talking to Harry. Did he tell you about-?”

“-Him and Parker being friends again? He didn’t need to. I saw them at the Lakebreeze.”

“That dump? Why do you guys go there?”

“Good pork roll.”

“Whatever.”

Flash laughed and brushed a fallen leaf from his shoulder. “But yeah, I know about it. I don’t know. I don’t like Parker, but at least Harry seems to have loosened up. He’s been like the living dead for the past few weeks.”

“He was?” Mary Jane asked as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Oh, yeah. Didn’t you notice?”

“Eh…” The young woman shifted her weight on the bench. “No, actually. I haven’t talked to him at all lately.”

Except for that embarrassing exchange a few hours ago, Mary Jane thought. Damn, and she really didn’t want to think about that right now, either. It’s not that Harry’s attitude toward her really offended her. Actually, considering what recently happening to him and their rough break-up a few months ago it was almost expected. What bothered Mary Jane was how it affected Peter.

It had been a month since she had the chance to really talk with Peter and Goddamn it, she was glad to have a real conversation with him. It made her happy to know  
that Peter was happy, that he was starting to move on after Gwen’s death. When Harry broke them up, gave her that look that made her feel-know that she clearly wasn’t wanted. Well, she had to say it just made her feel-

“Hey, MJ. Are you listening?”

Mary Jane blinked. Wow, she didn’t even notice she was daydreaming. “Sorry. What did you say?”

“Why were those two fighting, anyway?”

“Fighting?” Mary Jane’s right eyebrow rose. “I don’t really know if they were fighting. I always thought they were both too upset to talk to anyone.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” Flash nodded. “But I don’t know. I figured that since they’re so close and everything… I mean, really. A month, Mary Jane?”

“Hmm. Maybe. But it’s not like either of them were overly friendly to us, either,” Mary Jane shook her head. “No, I really think it was just grief, Flash.  
This was big for both of them. Peter didn’t even talk to his aunt.”

“But like I said before, don’t you find that strange?” Flash insisted.

Mary Jane said nothing for a moment. “A little, I suppose. So what? You think this was something bigger?”

“Yeah. I have no idea what, though.”

“Hmm. Well, I can’t really help you there.” Mary Jane pulled her purse over her shoulder and stood up. “Oh well. It’s not really our business, anyway.”

Flash nodded. “I guess not. See you around, babe.”

“See ya. Enjoy the news, by the way…”

~*~*~

Electro growled as the webbing splattered over his face. He tore at the fabric around his eyes, struggling to regain his sight. Unfortunately this act, rather than helping him, only succeeded in making Spider-Man laugh. Frustrated and sick of the wall-crawler’s taunting, Electro ripped off his mask. He turned to Spider-Man, his face a scowl.

“You’ll pay for that!” the criminal yelled, his hands sizzling with electricity.

Spider-Man merely smiled beneath his mask as he dodged the blast. “Aw, look at the bright side. It got rid of the dumbest part of your costume. Then again, now I have to look at your ugly face…”

Electro was not amused. “You think my face is ugly?” The criminal thrust his hands towards the ground, shooting a blast at it. The blast propelled Electro through the air, sending him hurtling towards Spider-Man. “Well, wait until you see your face when I’m through with it.”

Warned by his spider-sense, the hero jumped to a nearby lamppost just in time to see the green and yellow garbed villain crash into the wall. He smiled until he heard the approving laughter of a few vocal bystanders.

“What are you people doing?” Spider-Man yelled at them. God, didn’t they realize what danger they were in? “Get out of here. Run-Aaarggh!”

The hero screamed with pain as a bolt of electricity shot through his body. The pain was brutal but brief. Momentarily stunned, he fell from the lamppost.

Lamppost?

“Metal conducts electricity, moron,” he whispered to himself. At least it convinced most of the crowd to run away, leaving only the police and the braver reporters.

Spider-Man had little time to think about that when his spider-sense buzzed again.

Bang!

Spider-Man opened his eyes. What happened? He looked up to see one of Electro’s men holding his arm in pain. The man was on his knees, a gun at his feet. Spider-Man looked across the police line, where a cop was reloading his gun. He instantly realized where the thug had been aiming.

“Gotta remember that cop in my will,” he thought.

However Electro was not so pleased. He aimed his hand towards the cop, about to blast him, but Spider-Man was quicker. One jump kick and Electro was on the ground in less than a minute.

The hero thrust his hands towards Electro, attempting to web him up, but stopped at the buzzing of his spider-sense and the sound of heavy footfall. The gang was ambushing him!

“Better deal with them first,” Spider-Man thought. He tapped the shooters twice, once short, once long, creating a large film of webbing that covered the men like a blanket.

Then he turned to Electro, planning to do the same. Tap once. Tap twice.

Nothing.

He was out of webbing.

“Aw, great.”

A moment after Spider-Man said his last word, Electro was on his feet. He drew back his fist, charged it and let loose. The hero cried out as energy pierced flesh and bone. He fell to the ground.

The criminal lost no time. Once again he shot a blast at the ground, propelling him to the top of the bank, then shot another at the roof that propelled him out of sight.

Electro was gone, at least for now.

Spider-Man sat up and groaned, for more than one reason. One, the shock of the blast still hurt like hell. Two, he allowed Electro to get away. Three, it wouldn’t have really helped anyway because that webbing he’d just used up was the last of his non-conductive batch and fighting Electro without it would have been considerably harder. Four, he had to run home and make a new batch of said webbing, which would take up a lot of time that he could be using to find the creep. And five, the adoring public had him surrounded.

“Spider-Man. Cara Harding from the Daily Bugle. Is it true that this whole hostage situation was set-up as a publicity stunt to further your career?”

The hero glared at the well-dressed female reporter. “Yeah. In fact, the next fight will be tomorrow at Empire State University. Come early and the college will give you a free t-shirt. Could you leave me alone, please?”

With that, Spider-Man leaped above the crowd and landed on the wall of the bank. He began to climb up.

“Wait!”

Spider-Man turned back to see a man running towards him. It was the cop from before.

The cop panted rapidly as he ran to meet Spider-Man. He stopped and lifted up the brim of his hat. Then he smiled at Spider-Man. “Thanks for saving my life.”

Spider-Man smiled back. At least someone appreciated him for once. “Hey, you scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

The cop shrugged. “Just doing my job.”

“Me too. Are the hostages okay?”

“Mostly,” the cop nodded. “Unfortunately, we’ve got one guy in there who’s going to trauma. He took a pretty hard blast; might not make it. Others are okay, though.”

Spider-Man sighed in sympathy. “Tell him I wish him well.”

“Will do. Take care of yourself, Spidey.”

With that, Spider-Man loaded his web-shooters and swung away. Sometimes web-swinging would lift the hero’s soul, but not at times like this. His mind was fixed on that poor man.

“Going to trauma,” he whispered to himself. “He might not make it.”

Electro was free and he would probably strike again. Would there be another like that man? Would someone else be hurt because of Electro?

Not if he could help it. He wouldn’t allow anyone to die.

Spider-Man swung as fast as possible, determined to get home and make that webbing.

~*~*~

As soon as he arrived home, Peter Parker threw himself into making the batch with a near-fanatical devotion. Perched on a swivel chair, he pushed himself from his  
scientific notes, to his laboratory set, back again, then over to the sink where he was developing his pictures.

“Who says I can’t do two things at once?” Peter asked as he hung up another picture.

In the confines of his darkroom, Peter continued to work.

And the hours ticked by…

~*~*~

“Well, that about wraps it up,” Randolph Clapp said as he closed his briefcase. “You know that except for the residue, the money is yours. Your father did leave a few debts, but you should be pretty secure. As for his company, that will be left in Mr. Menken’s hands until you finish college.”

Harry Osborn nodded as he checked his watch. “I’m… Well, thank you for everything, Mr. Clapp. You’ve been a great help.”

Clapp just smiled. “Not a problem, Mr. Osborn. Your father was a great friend of mine. I’m happy to help you.”

The waiter returned with the check. Clapp placed his share of the bill on the table and stood up.

”I have to run out early but like I said before, call me if you have any questions.”

“I will.”

“I’m sorry about your friend, Mr. Osborn. I would have loved to meet him.”

Harry sighed sadly. “Yeah, well Pete’s a great guy but he has the memory of a sieve, if any.”

“I’m sure he’s a fine man. Good-bye, Mr. Osborn.”

“Good-bye, Mr. Clapp.”

With that the old lawyer left, leaving Harry alone. The young man shook his head as he took out his checkbook.

He should have expected it. He really should have. This wasn’t the first time Peter didn’t show up. It wouldn’t be the last. Still he had thought-expected him to come, especially considering their miserable conversation this afternoon.

Harry handed the checks to the waiter, as well as some bills for the tip. He sighed as he left the restaurant and stepped into the cool night air. He acted poorly this morning. Peter did say they were just talking and he had no reason to doubt him.

But he had plenty of reasons to doubt her.

Harry unlocked the door to his car and stepped inside. As he clipped his seat belt and turned the ignition he thought back on his time with Mary Jane. He’d loved her once, very much. It was hard not to love her. She wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but she made up for it in her sense of fun and pure infectiousness. When Peter first met Mary Jane he  
said, “She makes everything seem like a party.” It was true, and that was why Harry had loved her. She made life fun.

They’d been great at first. At least Harry thought so. Then she seemed to change overnight. It still angered him to remember how Mary Jane paid less and less attention to him. How she flirted heavily with Peter right in front of him. How she dumped him so hard and so completely.

Well, not completely. They tried to salvage everything after Harry left the hospital, but by that time it was too little, too late. The party was over.

Harry didn’t hate Mary Jane. He really didn’t. But thinking back on how she acted towards Peter… Well, he thought he had plenty of reasons not to trust her.

The young man turned the corner to their apartment. Then again, maybe he wasn’t giving Peter enough credit. Even if Mary Jane were trying for him, that didn’t mean he’d respond.

Right?

“Right,” Harry told himself. Peter loved him. Harry knew he did. He probably just got held up somewhere. Everything was fine. Just fine.

They were going to be very happy.

~*~*~

“Done!”

Peter’s heavy sigh filled the room as he snapped the new web cartridges into his shooters. All right! After many long hours his webbing was finally finished (and his pictures too, but those had been done for a long time now). All that remained was to find Electro and that…

Ring! Ring!

“Who’s that?” Peter wondered. He exited his private room and rushed to the phone.

Ring! Ri-

“Hello?” Peter asked the receiver.

“Harry, is that you?”

“No, Aunt May. It’s me.”

“Oh, Peter!”

The young man smiled upon hearing the joy in his aunt’s voice.

“I’m sorry, dear,” she continued. “It was silly to make that mistake. He’s just been the only one here for so long…”

“I know,” Peter admitted. “I’m sorry.”

The old woman said nothing for a moment. “Hmm. Oh well. Never mind that. How are you, dear? I haven’t heard from you in ages. Are you doing well?”

“Yeah, I’m doing great. I… I got some great pictures today.”

“And college? How’s that going?”

Peter winced. “Not so well.”

“Oh…” May said. She sounded a little disappointed. “Well, I’m sure you’ll catch up soon. Just remember to study.”

“I will.”

“Anyway, I’m glad to hear from you, dear. I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I…” Peter sat on the couch as he continued to talk. “Well, I actually haven’t been doing so well for the past month, but I think things are going to change.”

“Oh that’s good. I know how you feel about that poor girl.”

Peter hung his head as he recalled his former lover. “Well… I’m doing better now.”

“Good. Um… Peter, I do have a question for you.”

“Oh?” Peter leaned forward so that his elbows were on his knees. “What’s that?”

“Actually, I just wanted to know… Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

“Um…” Peter thought for a minute. “Not really. Why?”

“Oh, it’s just that I haven’t seen you in so long. Would you like to go out to dinner?”

“Hey, sure!” Peter smiled. She was right. They really hadn’t seen each other in awhile. “That sounds great.”

“Wonderful! I’ll pick you up at eight, dear.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Peter.”

“I love you too, Aunt May. You’re my favorite woman in the world.”

His aunt giggled. “Oh, it’s so good to hear from you, Peter. Good-bye, dear.”

“Bye.”

As soon as Peter replaced the phone on the receiver, he heard the door creak open. Peter smiled when he realized who it was.

“Hey, Harry!” he waved. Peter lowered his hand when his salutation was met with a frown.

Harry crossed his arms. “Forget someone?”

“I…” Peter slapped his forehead. Seven o’clock. Lawyer at the restaurant. Damn it. How could he forget? “Oh God. Harry, I’m so…”

“Sorry,” Harry finished. “Yeah, I know you are.” The young man hung up his coat and stormed out of the room.

“Harry, wait!” Peter rushed after him, but his friend had already retreated into his room. He frowned for a moment at the closed door, then continued his plea. "I really wanted to be there…”

“Not enough to get there.”

Peter sighed. “I’m sorry. It… I totally forgot.”

“So what else is new?”

“Harry, I… I…”

Peter could hear Harry groan on the other side of the door. “You what?”

“I… I don’t have an excuse. I… I’m sorry.” Peter turned around and leaned his back against the door. “I don’t know what to do, I… I’m really sorry I left you there. …Can I make it up to you somehow?”

Harry didn’t answer. Peter waited for a full minute. He sighed, ready to give up.

“Peter, the door isn’t locked.”

Peter glanced at the doorknob, his heart rate already increasing. He turned the knob, found Harry was right, and opened the door.

Harry sat on the edge of his bed, his face more serious than angry. Peter stood in front of him. His stance was upright, his face apologetic. The door made a loud click as it closed.

Harry sighed. “Peter, I’m not that mad at you. I’m disappointed, yeah, but you know what? You’ve always been like this. There’s no reason why you’d change for me.”

“Harry, I’m…”

The young man held up his hand. “Look, I can get over this. And I’m not asking you to change or anything like that. I’m… I’m not perfect either.”

“I’m not asking you to be,” Peter pointed out.

“And neither am I. Just… Try not to do that again, okay? Even if nothing changes. Just… just…” Harry sighed. “Promise you’ll try.”

Peter nodded. “I promise to try. I only wish that wasn’t the best I can do.”

To Peter’s surprise, Harry actually laughed. “At least you’re honest about it.”

Odd thing to say about a guy whose life is mostly secrets, Peter thought. “I… I didn’t like leaving you there, Harry. I never do. Not with you or any of my friends. I… I don’t like hurting you.”

A smile grew on Harry’s face. “I love you, Peter.”

Peter looked up. Harry held out his hand. With a single movement, Peter stepped forward and took it, then straddled Harry, pushing his lover back on the bed.

Harry fell back easily, not protesting when Peter lay on top of him. His lover’s lips covered his own and Harry moaned as he felt Peter’s tongue delving into his mouth. It was beautiful, the way he kissed. A perfect mix of gentleness and hidden strength. Harry pushed back against Peter, massaging his tongue until his lover finally broke off and gasped for breath. Then he pulled Peter in again, this time taking the lead. He thrust himself inside and out, sucking Peter’s lips as he did so.

Peter sighed in pleasure. God, this kiss was too much. He shifted uncomfortably, attempting to quell growing arousal. It was to no avail. His face flushed as he started to become erect.

The feel of Peter’s cock growing against him shocked Harry so much that he broke off the kiss. He moaned in pleasure. “God,” he gasped. “You’re too much.”

Peter laughed. “I’m too much? Sheesh, and we haven’t even really started yet. Is that good or bad?”

“Oh, good… so good.” Harry wrapped his arms around Peter, holding him close. “My rock… I love you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Peter smiled, flattered. He still didn’t believe Harry’s earlier compliment, but it was nice to hear. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you either, Har. You… you make my life brighter.”

At the sound of those words, Harry froze and stared at Peter. Then he shut his eyes tightly and rubbed them with his fingertips.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” Peter asked, his face filled with concern.

His lover exhaled and removed his hands from his eyes. They were dry, but he still looked as if he could have cried. “It’s… it’s nothing. I… it’s just… nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before.”

Peter said nothing. What could he say to something like that?

Harry’s good hand ran along Peter’s shoulder, then wrapped around his back to pull Peter closer. Peter sighed as their lips met once again. He closed his eyes to better feel the kiss. It’s wetness. It’s warmth.

His eyes were still closed when they broke off. Peter could feel himself becoming more and more aroused by the minute. Not for the first time he reflected on how much he had changed. Little over a month ago the thought of lusting after another man, forget kissing one, scared the heck out of him. Now he was shuddering with anticipation at the thought of entering his lover or of feeling Harry inside him. God, every cell in his body was screaming for it.

Harry was thinking similar things. He moaned with pleasure as Peter’s cock pressed against his suit pants. “Now…” he whispered to Peter. “Do it now.”

Peter nodded. “Let me get the stuff.”

Harry laughed and pushed himself further back on the bed as Peter got up to get the lube and condoms. “Ever the responsible one, huh?”

“Yeah, well if you want to hurt your ass or get sick, be my guest.” Peter opened the top drawer.

Harry smiled as he removed his shirt. “Point taken.”

They said nothing more for a moment. Harry continued to strip and Peter quickly followed suit. Then Peter laid the lube on the nightstand and got into bed.

He crawled over to Harry, his cock stiff, its tip moist with pre-ejaculate. Harry laughed and shuddered with excitement. “You look like you’re going to attack me or something.”

“Do I?” Peter removed one of the condoms from its package and slipped it over Harry’s sex, which was now as hard as his own. Harry moaned with pleasure as Peter continued, “Well, you’re not really protesting.”

Harry took the other package from Peter, opened it, and rolled its contents over his lover. He brushed his lips against Peter’s. “Who could protest you?”

“Plenty have.”

“Morons.” Harry wrapped his arms around Peter and held him close, delighting in the feel of skin on skin and Peter’s hard, rubbered cock pressing up against his own. He nearly melted when Peter began to smother him with kisses on his forehead, his cheek, his ear. “C’mon,” he whispered.

“Right.” Peter nodded. He reached for the lube as Harry turned over. Harry’s breathing was hard and slow, and every breath was like a jolt to Peter’s system. God, he could hardly wait.

Harry exhaled loudly as he felt Peter’s lube-covered finger pushing inside his buttocks. It was only by an act of sheer willpower that he didn’t come that instinct. In fact, the fight not to thrust forward was a misery. “Please,” he moaned.

“One minute…” Peter positioned himself so he was in back of Harry. He leaned forward and kissed the nape of his neck. His cock was throbbing. His heart was racing. Peter took a deep breath. Then he pushed himself inside.

A wave of pleasure and relief washed over Peter as he felt Harry spasm around him. God, he’d wanted this so badly. He’d wanted him so badly. Mustering up all the self-control he had left, Peter thrust himself forward, hard and slow.

The shock of the entrance had been enough to make Harry want to come. Now the inclination was so strong that it maddened him. He felt like he was burning. All his thoughts were focused on the act, the plain and pleasure, the need for relief and to stay. He arched his back as Peter pushed forward again.

Peter loved the sight. He groaned as he ran his hands up and down Harry’s sides and back. So often in his life, too often in his life, Peter’s actions or inactions had caused the ones he loved pain or sorrow. But now, as he looked at Harry, saw him writhe with passion under him, Peter realized with pride that this was his doing. That now, as with Gwen before, Peter had the power to make the people he loved happy.

Then he could feel it rising in him. Peter began to sweat as his thrusts became quicker. He let out a long, low moan as his passion reached its peak. For the briefest moment he and time stood still, poised between build and release.

If only the moment could have lasted forever.

Peter groaned as he released his seed, feeling his passion and strength drain away. All that was left was euphoria so great that it was almost its own oppression. Peter’s every instinct told him to lie down and rest, but he wouldn’t. Not yet at least. Peter reached beneath his lover and took Harry’s cock in his own hand.

“Oh God…” Harry whispered. He bit his lip as Peter stroked him. He threw his head back at the delicious sensation of flesh pushing against flesh. It was almost time. Harry could feel it overtake and consume him. It felt so good. Oh God. Oh dear G-

Harry let out a moan as his semen poured out of him. He felt like he might swoon when two strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him back.

A sigh escaped Harry’s lips as he leaned back against Peter. He looked up at his lover.

For a moment nothing happened. Peter just held him; his hazel eyes locked on Harry’s blue ones. He stroked the back of his hand against Harry’s cheek. “I love you.”

Harry took Peter’s hand in his own then brought it to his lips. One by one Harry sucked Peter’s fingers.

Peter was telling the truth, wasn’t he? Peter did love him. He did care for him. He had to, right? Peter told him he made his life brighter, right?

In an attempt to convince himself further, Harry turned around and wrapped Peter in his arms, pulling him down on the bed. Yes, he told himself, Peter loved him. He was just talking to Mary Jane. He did just forget about the date. It was him who Peter really cared for.

Peter had to. If not… what would he do?

Harry refused to think of it. He just held Peter, his Peter in his arms.

And they stayed that way until morning.

~*~*~

“-afternoon at the First National Bank, the costumed vigilante known as Spider-Man faced off against the so-called ‘supervillain’ Electro. There were no fatalities, however 34-year-old bank teller Richard Towers is in critical condition. Police captain Jean DeWolffe also warns residents that Electro is a dangerous man, one that is still at large in New York City. If you or anyone you know have information about this man, please report it to your local police station immediately.

“Meanwhile, Spider-Man has his own information about Electro.”

“‘-the next fight will be tomorrow at Empire State University. Come early and the college will give you a free t-shirt.’”

Click! The image of Spider-Man shrunk to a white dot and faded, leaving only a dull black. The man opposite the television laughed as his yellow-gloved hand lowered the remote.

“You called it, webslinger.” Max Dillon crossed his legs as he leaned back on his couch, his face a smug smile. “You called it.”

~*~*~

“So answer me a question.”

“What?”

“Why is it always my bed?”

Peter laughed as he and Harry turned the corner and walked down the street leading to the Coffee Bean. It was a beautiful day. The sky was beautiful and clear; its few fluffy clouds only made it more picturesque. The temperature was also great… for November at least. It was cold but not a biting cold. There was very little wind.

“We’ll sleep in my bed after you tick me off,” Peter smiled. “God, is today gorgeous or what?”

“I know,” Harry agreed. “Can you believe they’re predicting thunderstorms for tonight?”

“Thunderstorms? Really?”

“Yeah. Temperature’s going to drop, too.”

“Hmm… weird.”

“Yeah, too bad. I’m liking the global warming.”

“Heh…”

Harry checked his watch as they continued down the street. “So what’s on the schedule for you today?”

“For me? Um, actually I’ll be kind of busy today,” Peter said as he thought of his search for Electro. “But I’ll be around ESU for my classes and… oh! I’m going out with Aunt May tonight.”

“Oh yeah?” Harry nodded. “That’s nice.”

The two men stopped talking as they descended the stairs to the Coffee Bean. Harry opened the door. “After you…”

“Thank you.”

Harry followed Peter inside the vestibule and closed the door behind him. “Too bad you’re so busy. So… I guess after this I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yeah,” Peter nodded. “Sorry we couldn’t do more today. I still feel bad about leaving you.”

“It’s all right…” Harry paused for a moment. “Hey. Do you think anyone could see us from here?”

Peter checked the wall that stood between the vestibule and the main room of café. There was a slight possibility that someone could look through the opening in the wall that led into the main room, but on the whole… “No… not well, at least.”

“Good.” Harry stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Peter’s waist, pulling him close.

Peter hesitated for a moment. True, it would be very hard to see them, but then again…

Harry’s lips grew closer to his. Aw, heck. One kiss wouldn’t hurt. He probably didn’t know half of the people out there, anyway.

Peter closed his eyes as skin met skin. He felt his lover’s mouth engulf his own, his tongue invade his mouth. He wrapped his arms around Harry.

Suddenly, Peter’s spider-sense buzzed. He broke off the kiss. “The door…”

Too late. Peter and Harry separated themselves as quickly as possible, but the damage was done.

The two men stared at the doorway. Harry tried to say something, but could only cough uncomfortably. Peter felt the blood drain from his face as he wiped his lips. “Hi, guys,” he offered.

Flash and Mary Jane didn’t say a thing. They just stood in the doorway, their faces confused and shocked. After many painful minutes, Mary Jane shook her head and looked at Peter.

“Harry…” Mary Jane shook her head again. “Well, that wasn’t fair. You know I never would have guessed that…”

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Peter Parker laughed. Nervously, but he laughed. What else could he do?

Hoo-boy. He was in trouble now. God. How could he have been so stupid? Sure, he always checked and double-checked before changing to Spider-Man. He always locked up everything before leaving the house. But “Oh no Harry, I really don’t think anyone could see us here. Sure, we could kiss in public. What could possibly go wrong?”

Okay, now he had to say something. But what? Should he fib his way out of it? Tell the truth? Then again, even if he decided to fess up, what was he supposed to say? “Heh. So you caught us. Yep, we’re gay. Haven’t you heard?”

Harry coughed again. “Well, uh, nice seeing you guys.” He tapped Peter on the shoulder. “Come on Peter, let’s go get a table.”

Ah, leaving. There was an idea.

“Hey. Hey. Wait a minute,” Flash said. “What the hell just happened here?”

Mary Jane groaned and shook her head. “Come on, Flash. Isn’t it obvious?”

“Obvi-? No!” Flash made an irritated noise and pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Harry, could you please explain this to me?”

“They’re ga-”

“Harry,” Flash insisted.

“Well…” Harry paused and looked at Peter. His face was desperate, begging Peter to tell him what to say.

Peter hung his head. So the ball was back in his court now. He looked from Harry’s desperate face to Mary Jane’s blank one to Flash’s confused one. Well, Mary Jane figured it out, and the two of them had to know at some point…

“Okay,” he thought. “Here it goes.”

Peter held out his hand and Harry’s fingers immediately intertwined with his own. He sighed.“Mary Jane is right, Flash. We… Harry and I are a couple. We’ve only been going out this way for the past couple of days but… we’ve been in love for about a month.”

Flash’s expression didn’t change. “What?”

“They’re gay!” Mary Jane shook her head and groaned. “My God, do they have to sing it for you?”

“Wha-but…” Flash glanced from Harry to Peter and back again. “No! You… you two can’t be gay.”

“Well, we kind of are,” Peter shrugged.

“N-No! This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Aw, jeez!” Mary Jane rolled her eyes. “How can you act like this?”

“How can I-? Excuse me!” Flash retorted. “I think I’m being the reasonable one here. How can you just accept this?”

“What does this have to do with her?” Harry asked. “This is about me and Peter, not the two of you.”

Mary Jane nodded. “Thank you, Harry. Besides…” the young woman smiled. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. “I think it’s kind of cute.”

“What?” Flash exclaimed.

“Well, it is a little disconcerting that two of my ex-boyfriends are dating. But hey! It’s nothing I haven’t seen or done before.”

Now it was Peter’s turn to be surprised. “You mean you’ve been with…”

Mary Jane coughed. “Well, a party girl like me has to know more than one way to play.”

Flash looked like he might implode. “What? You’re gay too?”

“I’m trisexual. I’ll try anything!” Mary Jane paused and tilted her head. “Okay well, not that… or that… and then that will get you arrested…” Mary Jane continued to mumble as she thought of all the things she wouldn’t do. “And that’s really disgusting… and well, I tried that once, but I didn’t like it…”

Peter and Harry threw confused glances at each other.

Mary Jane tilted her head upright again. “Okay, so there’s a lot I won’t try, but lesbianism isn’t on the list.”

Flash threw up his hands. “Have you all gone insane? You… How long were you two like this? What? Was all that drooling over girls just some kind of cover-up?”

“No!” Peter and Harry said at the same time.

“Oh yeah? So what is this, then? You just wake up one day and ‘poof!’ you’re a fag?”

Harry shifted his weight. “It’s more complicated than that, right Peter?”

“Um, yeah,” Peter added. “I mean. Well, I’ve actually been like MJ. I’ve liked both for a very long time, I just was never able to admit it.”

“So you’ve been doing both for years?” asked Flash.

“No. I never said that.”

“Well, you said you always liked guys.”

“That doesn’t mean I acted on it!”

“What are you talking about? You’re screwing or getting screwed or whatever the hell it is you do… How long did this go on? Was this going on when you were dating Gwen?”

“Flash!” Mary Jane’s eyes widened with shock.

“Oh, forget it!” Peter pushed his way through Flash and Mary Jane and out the door. Mary Jane jumped as it slammed shut.

For a moment the vestibule was silent. Mary Jane just sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I need some coffee.”

Mary Jane walked out of the vestibule and into the main room. As soon as she was gone, Harry turned to Flash. “Why would you say something like that?”

Flash just groaned and shook his head. “I don’t get any of this! You… you guys… we hung out together. He adored Gwen! And you were all over Mary Jane. This… I can’t talk about this.”

With that, Flash stormed off into the main room. Harry stared after him for a minute, then turned back and out the door.

~*~*~

The car horn blared out across the crowded street, a small whisper in the orchestra of noise that hung about New York City. Tires screeched on black pavement. Men and women screamed obscenities in at least three different languages. The whole city was  
in motion.

Yet Peter, for a change, was still. He leaned back against a lamppost, his thoughts ricocheting between angry frustration and disappointed acceptance. This was horrible. Absolutely horrible. God, he’d never liked Flash but he thought… he hoped… Just how thick was that muscle-bound moron anyway? That stupid, boneheaded…

Mary Jane was bi?

Peter slapped his forehead. Oh God, like he didn’t have enough to worry about with this Electro garbage. What the hell was he thinking? He knew Flash and Mary  
Jane came to that restaurant.

Then again, he also knew that Flash and Mary Jane went to his college, came to his apartment, recognized him on the streets…

Peter lowered his hand to cover his eyes. He thought he could treat his sexuality like his superhero identity. Speak in innuendos. Tell a lie or three. Act in the night and keep it hidden during the day.

But this wasn’t like Spider-Man. This role didn’t allow for a mask. People knew Peter Parker. People knew Harry Osborn.

And he would have to face the consequences of that all the time.

“But you knew that, didn’t you?” he thought. “You knew this came with the potential for a horrible coming-out scene, strange looks, being taunted. Countless other things… you knew about this. You knew this could happen.”

Peter sighed. God, the things one did for love.

The young man’s thoughts broke off when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. Peter didn’t even need to take his hand off his eyes to know who it was. “Three days together and we’ve already managed to get caught. Great. I bet half the gay and lesbian community just wet their pants laughing.”

“Heh,” Harry shook his head. “I don’t think so, Pete. It’s not as if relationships were that easy to hide when we were straight.”

Peter smiled, although not with his eyes. “That really went badly.”

“They would have found out eventually.”

“I know. I just…”

“… Had higher hopes?’

“Yeah.”

“We’ll be okay.” Harry gripped Peter’s shoulder. “I’ll… I don’t know. Flash… He might come around. W-We have each other, otherwise.”

“Har…” Peter inhaled sharply. He closed his eyes tightly as he grasped the hand on his shoulder. God, he hoped that was true. He didn’t want to lose him again. Not after Gwen. He’d been so lucky.

He just hoped that luck would last.

~*~*~

“So why are we here again?”

The dark, burly man rolled his eyes as he took a long drag from his cigarette. “Revenge, babe. He goes in. He makes a shit. We drive the gay fucker away and we come out a few bucks richer.”

“Heh.” Adele Mawndance leaned back against the passenger seat of her and her husband’s Buick. “And why the hell does he care so much about this fucking college?”

“He doesn’t babe, not really,” Jack wrapped his arm around Adele’s shoulder, pulling her close. “You know capes. They get these stupid fucking agendas all the time. ‘Mwa-ha-ha! As God as my witness I will destroy the Amazing Bug Man!’”

“Spider-Man.”

“Whatever. My point is that they fight some self-righteous motherfucker, blow up some city block, either get their ass kicked or don’t, then he escapes or he doesn’t. And if he does, that’s where we come in.”

“Drive the boss-man home and take a pop at the wall-crawler if need be.” Adele’s long, red acrylic fingernails stroked the .45 on her belt.

“Right, babe.” Jack leaned forward and kissed his wife. He made a soft, slurping noise as he pulled his tongue out of Adele’s dark lips.

“Mmmm…” Adele’s brown eyes slowly opened. “How much longer?”

“Should only be an hour,” Jack said as Adele laid her head on his shoulder. Her tight, black curls tickled his neck. “Then…”

“Cold hard cash and we get that new big screen?”

“Got it, Adele.”

“Not a bad living.”

“Not bad at all.”

~*~*~

“Should I or shouldn’t I…?”

It was a question Mary Jane had asked herself many times in the last five minutes.

She sat in ESU’s cafeteria, her right heel bobbing up and down impatiently as she ate her salad and watched Peter Parker. Mary Jane wanted to laugh. The man ate like he was in a hundred-yard dash, devouring his hamburger in less than a minute and shoveling fries down his throat in droves.

“Should I or shouldn’t I?’

Mary Jane’s long nails raked an itch on her neck. “Well, why not?” she said to herself. “Let’s see what happens.”

She stood up and walked over to Peter, her smile wide and her eyes mischievous. Mary Jane then leaned forward against Peter’s table. The young man looked up, his hazel eyes wide with surprise.

Here it goes.

“Are we practicing for a pie-eating contest?” Mary Jane asked.

Peter swallowed loudly and coughed. “I’m… I’m kind of in a rush.”

“You look like it,” Mary Jane admitted. She slid into the chair across from him. “But do you think you could spare a few minutes?”

“I…” Peter started to say. “Look, about this morning. I… I don’t know, but… you’re bi?”

Mary Jane laughed. “Yep.”

“When were you going to tell me?”

“When were you going to tell me about you and Harry?”

Peter paused. “Um, eventually. Not like that, anyway.”

Mary Jane sighed. “Yeah, I bet. I… I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“Ehm…” Mary Jane shrugged. “I don’t know. It felt like the right thing to say.”

Peter groaned.

“He might come around, you know?”

“I doubt it,” Peter rested his face on his hand. “He already hates me. This just gives him another reason.”

“He doesn’t hate you,” Mary Jane insisted. “Not that much anyway. He… Well, Flash cared a lot about Gwen, you know? Not romantically, of course, but like a friend cares deeply for another friend. He doesn’t- He didn’t like you, but he agreed to be friendly with you for Gwen. At least that’s what she told me.”

Peter didn’t say anything, so Mary Jane continued.

“Now, I don’t know, but for some reason I think that… Well, by dating Harry, by coming out, and so soon after Gwen died, you’ve given him the impression that you didn’t love Gwen at all.”

“But you know that’s not true.”

“I know,” Mary Jane held up her hands. “I know you well enough and I knew Gwen well enough to know that, but Peter, you have to realize this whole thing doesn’t look good. It’s only been one month. I think Flash would be upset about that anyway, and the fact that Harry’s a man just makes it worse.”

Peter sighed and covered his eyes. “Great. Just great.”

Mary Jane put her hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Don’t worry too much, Tiger. Like I said, he might come around. Until then…” the young woman’s mischievous grin appeared again. “I’ve got a nice collection of videos you might be interested in borrowing.”

“Vide-?” Peter laughed. “Oh, those types of videos. Um, I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” Mary Jane pouted and crossed her arms. “What kind of college student are you, anyway?”

Peter shook his head. “It’s not that… it’s… Well, I…”

“You what?” Mary Jane pressed.

The young man said nothing. Mary Jane’s upper lip curled a bit in disgust.

“It’s Harry, right? It’s because it’s me.”

“MJ, I…”

“You don’t have to explain,” Mary Jane groaned and stood up. “If you don’t want me around, I’ll just leave.”

“I didn’t say that. I-“

“Forget it!” Mary Jane waved Peter away. “If you and your ‘friend’ are going to keep me at an arm’s length when I try to be nice to you, then…”

Peter was about to say something when his spider-sense screamed. “Outside…”

KRA-KOW! The sound of lightning striking echoed off the walls of the cafeteria, followed by the deafening boom of thunder. A shriek of panic ran through the crowd.

Peter ran to the window and more than a few people followed. A sick sensation started in his stomach as he looked outside. “Oh God,” he thought. “Please tell me the weatherman was wrong. Please don’t tell me… Oh God. It was just a joke. Just a stupid…”

Another crack burst forth from the sky, striking a nearby tree. In less than a second the tree was in flames. Many women (and more than a few men) screamed.

Then he appeared.

Electro leaped from the top of the nearby halls to the ground near the tree, cushioning his descent with even more blasts of electricity. On any other day Peter may have found this theatric funny. Not incredibly funny, Electro was a dangerous man, after all. Still, who did he think he was, anyway? Was this an ambush or a rock concert?

Yeah, one day he might have laughed. He might still find this hysterical when it was all over.

But right now…

“Hey, bug boy!” Electro cried out as he roasted a nearby bench. “Watch the news tonight, freak? How do you like them apples?”

Damn it. Damn it!

Peter peeled himself away from the window and ran out of the cafeteria. He heard Mary Jane cry out his name, but at this point he could care less.

This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t fair. God, why couldn’t he have said something else? An abandoned alleyway? A deserted island? Somewhere where there weren’t people, particularly the ones he knew?

No, no. God, Flash was here. Mary Jane was here. Harry was here! What if they were hurt? What if Electro killed them?

Peter’s heart was pounding in his chest as he slammed the door to the men’s bathroom open. (Oh crap. Did he break it? No, no. It was closing. Still good. Whew.) He ripped off his street clothes as quickly as possible and tried his best to calm down. He could do this. This wasn’t the first time a villain had attacked his school. Heck, the Sandman stopped by Midtown High on one of his earliest battles and that had turned out all right.

He could do this. He could do this. He’d take Electro down quickly, before he could hurt anyone. Just like he did before.

Everything would be fine. Just fine.

He could do this.

~*~*~

KRA-KOW!

Harry Osborn flinched again as he ran through one of ESU’s many halls. He glanced outside. Damn, he still didn’t see Electro yet. He ran faster. Harry had been in Professor Warren’s class when he heard the news. Dirk Hall ran into the room, his green eyes humongous with shock and his greasy, brown hair on end.

“Electro’s attacked!” Dirk screamed as he threw open the door. “That supervillain on the news. He’s here!”

Professor Warren had been especially calm given the situation, ordering the class outside as if the assault were little more than a routine fire drill. This was not true for Harry. In that moment, the sick feeling from before had returned with a vengeance.

He bolted from the room, even though Warren had pleaded for him to stop. Harry didn’t listen. He couldn’t. His mind had become a vise locked on one solitary thought:

Find Peter.

Harry knew where he’d be: somewhere near the fight, hiding in the bushes or something while he snapped photos of Spider-Man. Yet still he had to find him. There was something wrong now. He knew something was wrong.

Only he couldn’t remember what.

Another one of his professors, a short, plump ball of a man named Savitz, ran past Harry. “Professor Savitz!”

The professor stopped short as Harry ran up to him. “Do you know where Electro’s attacking?”

Savitz nodded rapidly, his body quaking with fear. “Ye-Yes. Outside, near the student center. B-But don’t worry, boy. We’re far from him now. With luck, we…”

But Harry didn’t let him finish. He was already running in the direction of the student center.

“Wait, Mr. Osborn. Mr. Osborn, that’s the wrong way. Mr. Osborn. Mr. Osborn!”

~*~*~

Mary Jane Watson had seen this many times before. Well, not this precisely, but this scenario. One of them, Spider-Man, was always the same. The other (or others) and the setting had always been different. A gang of thugs in her old go-go club (shame about that job). The Rhino on the streets of New York. Radioactive Man on the bridge.

It always changed, but never for her. No matter who it was, no matter how or how many times the battle turned, in her heart it was always the same. She always felt it: the thrill of the battle, of watching a life-and-death struggle before her eyes.

And the fear, the incredible fear that someone could be hurt. That she’d see someone die.

Maybe even herself.

These two feelings: thrill and fear, held Mary Jane in thrall as she hid behind a building pillar, her eyes wide as Spider-Man swung down in front of Electro.

“Well, this is pretty sad,” Spider-Man said as he shot a stream of webbing towards Electro. “You’ve always been pretty boring, but I didn’t think you’d stoop so low as to pick a fight location based on my sound-bytes. Oh well, you do have the money to pay for the free t-shirts, right?”

Electro propelled himself into the air, dodging the webbing and throwing himself in Spider-Man’s direction. “Shut up!”

Spider-Man chuckled and leaped over Electro, sending the villain crashing face first into the ground. Electro cried out in pain.

“Aw, and you just brought that mask, didn’t you?” Spider-Man shook his head. “Tsk. Tsk. I wish I could feel bad, but that mask was always the pits. Then again, I suppose your costume could always be worse. Man, that’s a scary-“ Spider-Man sensed Electro’s oncoming blast and ducked. “-Thought. Your costume actually being worse.”

“You look like a fag, wall crawler.” Electro threw blast after blast at Spider-Man. “And I happen to like my mask.”

Spider-Man ducked and weaved through oncoming jolt after jolt of electricity. “I look like a fag? What’s your basis? Tights? Well, there goes the super-powered community. Although a gay Captain America should shed an interesting light on the ‘gays in the military’ debate.”

“Shut up!”

“Oh, but I really have had suspicions about the Human Torch, but alas, he showed no interest in me. Oh, he’s not gay. Sometimes he just sleeps with men who are.”

“Shut up!”

“Speaking of the FF, if everyone in the superhero community is gay, that must be bad for Sue. Three men around and none of them interested in her. (Then again, if Johnny liked her that would be disgusting.) Oh well, I hope for her sake the Wasp and Marvel Girl are still available.”

“Do you ever shut up?”

“Hey, you brought up this subject. I’m just elaborating. You really shouldn’t be mad. Or is this anger just repressed sexual tension for me?”

“That does it!”

The battle grew more heated, Electro’s blasts becoming more and more numerous as Spider-Man dodged and quipped again and again. But while many of the on-lookers stared at the display in fear, Harry Osborn ran along the edges of the crowd, searching it desperately, hoping against hope that he’d find Peter somewhere.

The crowd seemed endless and unmoving, frozen in awe as if the fight were a Yankee game instead of a full-fledged battle. It annoyed Harry a little bit. After hearing of Gwen’s death by Spider-Man or the Green Goblin… Or was it Spider-Man and the Green Goblin?

(Just the Green Goblin. The Green Goblin killed Gwen.)

He didn’t know that.

(Yes you do.)

Harry shook his head. At any rate, these battles made Harry nervous to no end. As he ran through the crowd, the sick feeling was growing. He felt like he could vomit or faint. Yet he kept running, trying his best to look at the crowd and not the battle.

Then someone gasped.

It was pure instinct. He couldn’t stop himself if he wanted to (and he did want to). But it was too late. He’d looked.

And it only made him worse.

Spider-Man must have slipped. From the bits of conversation around him, Harry knew that Spider-Man had not been hit. Until now.

The wall-crawler had the wind knocked out him. He was doubled over, crouched in pain. Harry found himself moving closer and closer towards the two costumed figures. He’d seen this before. He’d seen… Spider-Man like this before.

But where? When? He’d seen Spider-Man in battle but he never saw him crouched over like that. Wasn’t that right?

Harry kept moving towards the center.

Spider-Man groaned in agony as he struggled to stand. The blasts had come too quick then. He sensed it, but…

His spider-sense screamed again. He knew a blast was coming from behind him and judging by the howling in his head, it was a big one. He had time to dodge, though. Just…

Oh no.

Spider-Man looked out at the crowd. He saw him.

“Harry…” he whispered.

The blast barreled towards Spider-Man. If he moved, the blast might hit the crowd. Might hit… no! Not again.

He wouldn’t let it happen again.

On the other side of the crowd, Mary Jane Watson shrieked. Her green eyes widened in horror. Oh no. Oh no. The blast was huge, and god damn it, he didn’t move! Electricity surrounded Spider-Man like a living, glowing prison. God, his scream was awful. Mary Jane covered her ears and shut her eyes so tight she looked like she was in pain. No. No! This was her worst nightmare. She just lost Gwen. Please, not Peter.

Not Peter!

Harry, like many of the people near him, was on the ground, covering his ears and eyes from the light of the blast. Why didn’t Spider-Man move? He had all that time?

Then he realized.

He didn’t move for them. He was protecting them.

God…

From what little he allowed himself to see, he knew the blast was dying down. Harry put down his arm and looked.

Oh jeez.

Spider-Man lay on the ground in a crumpled heap. His outfit was ripped and smoking. The few patches of skin he could see looked visibly scorched.

He couldn’t be alive after that. Could he?

Electro wasn’t going to take that chance. He stood over Spider-Man, fists glowing with energy. He raised them above his head, ready to bring them down for a finishing blow.

Thwipp!

A gasp of joy echoed throughout the crowd.

Electro’s mouth fell open as he stared at his tied hands. He tried to shoot them off with a blast, but the non-conductive webbing made his attempts useless.

Spider-Man smiled weakly beneath his mask. “You’re still paying for the t-shirts.”

With that, he pulled and twisted the webbing, knocking Electro to the ground. He then webbed him up fully. Electro struggled briefly in the grip of the web. It barely gave.

He was caught.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Mary Jane gasped with relief again and again. Spider-Man bowed awkwardly and swung away.

And Harry stood on the edge of the crowd, clapping with cautious approval and wondering why he didn’t feel the crowd’s joy.

~*~*~

A few minutes later, Peter stood in a bathroom stall, fumbling as he struggled to pull on his clothes without hurting himself.

“Note to self: Next time you throw yourself in the path of a thunderbolt, make some attempt to soften the blow.”

God, his whole body ached. His muscles felt like dead weights. Some patches of skin were singed.

Plus, he was generating static electricity like nobody’s business. The hairs on his forearms were standing on end and-

Hey, how did his hair look?

His clothes now on, Peter exited the stall and looked in the large mirror over the sink.

“Oh, God…”

If his body didn’t hurt so much, he would have found this hilarious. Every hair on his head stood on end and in all different directions. He looked like a rock star. Or a porcupine.

“Porcupine is probably closer.” Peter turned on the sink, catching some water in his hand. He splashed it over his head. He sighed, well that didn’t do squat. Peter bent down, putting his head fully under the waterspout. He flinched a few times as some static shock shot through his body, but his hair, while wet, seemed to finally be resuming his normal shape.

He took his head out from under the spout and looked back in the mirror. Well, at least he looked better now, even if he felt like hell. Still, how was he going to explain this to Harry? Once he took off his clothes tonight Harry would see the burns. Well, maybe he could convince Harry to settle for oral sex or some-

Harry?

Peter sighed and rubbed his eyes. That’d been close today. Way too close. If he’d lost Harry… God, not being able to love him for a month had been heart-breaking. He didn’t want to… he couldn’t…

He’d been such an idiot. How could he have put Harry, put all of his friends in such danger? This was his fault. Completely his fault. Electro never would have attacked if not for him. He-

“Stop it,” Peter thought. “Stop doing that. He’s okay now, isn’t he?”

But he might have not been.

Peter left the bathroom, his heart still racked with guilt. He knew this relationship would be hard, harder than any he’d been through before, but he never thought all of these problems would come upon him so quickly. Him showing up late. Flash and Mary Jane discovering they were gay. Him putting Harry in danger.

Wow. Had all that happened in less than 24 hours? These last three days felt like months.

“Maybe,” he thought, and it pained him to think this way. “Maybe my happiness isn’t worth the risk. Maybe I should leave Harry…”

But something about that prospect troubled him, and it wasn’t just the selfishness of wanting the one he loved. He realized it was the thought of leaving Harry, of moving out of the apartment and leaving him with nobody else in the world.

Peter inhaled sharply. “He doesn’t have anyone else, does he?”

No. Peter was everything Harry had. Well, he did have an uncle or other distant relative here and there, but nobody he was close with. They weren’t like Peter’s Aunt May. He knew his friend well enough to know that Harry hadn’t been close to anyone but his father, and they weren’t even that tight.

And now that Norman was gone. (Good riddance! Poor Harry…) Peter was the only one left.

He couldn’t go. God, if Harry felt alone ...

Peter remembered the overdoses and shuddered. That was not going to happen again. He’d never let Harry get that low again.

He was going to stay. For better or worse, he was going to stay.

“Peter!”

The young man turned around. Mary Jane rushed toward him, her heels clacking on the tile floor and her red hair flowing behind her. “Hey,” Peter said cautiously. He wondered if she was still angry.

Mary Jane smiled at Peter and took satisfaction when she saw the suspicion fade from his face. Wow, he was okay. A little wobbly and his hair looked kinda funny but he was okay. It was moments like this that made Mary Jane want to believe it wasn’t really true, made her want to believe that Peter wasn’t really Spider-Man.

If only…

“But oh well, back to the regularly scheduled program where we both lie about what happened in a stupid-ass attempt to keep up appearances, huh?” she thought. Jesus, this would drive her insane. “So,” said Mary Jane. “You scared me running off like that. And I thought I was supposed to be the one storming off in a rage.”

Peter laughed. “Well, you know, a situation like that kind of gets you sidetracked.”

Mary Jane nodded and giggled as well. “Yeah, of cour-” She stopped when Peter scratched an itch on his arm. A red, wound, something like a burn, crawled up his hand. “Oh my God, what happened?”

“What are you-?” Peter saw the wound. “Oh jeez! I… wow, I, uh, knocked my hand against a hot beaker in Chemistry. I’m okay though. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

Mary Jane wanted to roll her eyes. God, that was lame, even for him. Nevertheless, she pretended to believe it, cradling his injured hand between the two of hers. “Are you sure it’s okay? It looks angry.”

“Yes, it’s fine. I’m fi-”

“Oh, there you are! God, I’ve been looking all over for you… you…”

Peter gulped and pulled his hand away from Mary Jane’s, but it didn’t help. Harry just stood there, scowling at them both. Great. Wrong place at the wrong time.

Again.

“Harry, I…” Peter sighed and held up his injured hand. “Look, I got hurt earlier today. She was just concern-”

“Oh, don’t bloody bother, Peter.” Mary Jane glared angrily at her former lover. “You should know Harry well enough to realize that he’ll throw a hissy fit if you so much as breathe on one of his possessions.”

Peter winced, but Harry seemed unfettered. “Well, that’s only if said someone throws herself on every man, sorry, person with two legs.”

“Harry!”

“I wasn’t even doing anything, I-“

“Just like you weren’t doing anything when Gwen was in England, right?”

“You know. If you would actually listen when someone tries to talk to you-”

Peter covered his eyes and groaned.

“And just why would I listen to you, anyway?” Harry asked. “Why should I listen to anything you say?”

“You know what?” Mary Jane threw up her hands. “I don’t need to listen to this. And I don’t need to be treated like the bad guy when I haven’t done anything. I’m going. Be happy. And if you’re so goddamned possessive of your little boy-toy, why don’t you put a collar on him or something?”

“MJ!” Peter exclaimed again.

“Good-bye, Peter.” Mary Jane turned and walked away, her heels clicking hard and quick as she did so.

Harry snorted and crossed his arms. Peter walked in front of Harry so as to face him. “Har-”

He turned away. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Peter hung his head as Harry left. He leaned against a nearby wall, sighing as he stared at the cracks in the ceiling.

Doghouse.

Again.

~*~*~

Hours later, Peter unlocked the door to his apartment. Click. The door creaked. He stepped inside.

Harry was waiting for him. His lover sat on their couch, his back to the door. He didn’t turn when Peter shut it.

Peter sighed. Fine. He’d bite. “You said you’d talk to me later. Is it later yet or should I go out and get us some burgers?”

Harry shook his head. “Could you not crack jokes, please? I’m not in the mood.”

“Sorr-”

“Why do you have to hang out with her, anyway? You know how I feel about her.”

Peter groaned and pressed his palm against his forehead. “Harry, we were just talking.”

“Just like you two did when Gwen went to England?”

“No, not at all. We’ve been talking as friends. Unlike a few months ago, when she was making plays for me.”

“I don’t trust her,” Harry insisted.

“Well, that’s fine. But she’s my friend. Sometimes I am going to want to see her…”

“My ex-girlfriend!”

“So? She’s my ex-girlfriend too! And Gwen was yours. We didn’t exactly put ‘No Talking’ signs on them then, did we?”

Harry sighed. “That was different.”

“How was it different?”

“Look, I just don’t trust her.”

“What on earth is she going to do?”

Harry didn’t answer. Peter shook his head and chuckled. “God… do you have that little faith in me? Don’t you trust me?”

“You know what?” Harry stood up from the couch. His blue eyes were cold with anger as he glared at Peter. “Sometimes I’m surprised I trust you at all. We’ve known each other, lived with each other for three years. Three years and you still lock your bedroom door whenever you leave. You still don’t tell me where you go all the time. And you still give me these lame excuses whenever you do so. ‘Faith in you.’ God, Peter. How am I supposed to have faith in you when you can’t even show up when you promise to be somewhere?”

“Ouch,” Peter thought. His face fell and he turned away. It was all true.

And it hurt.

“Aw, Peter…”

Peter could hear Harry’s footsteps as he came up behind him. He closed his eyes as Harry’s arms snaked around him.

“Peter, I didn’t mean it,” Harry whispered. His breath was warm on the back of Peter’s neck.

“I want to be there for you,” Peter murmured.

“I know.”

“A whole month… I could have had the chance. I didn’t want it. I tried to and I didn’t anyway.”

“Peter…”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“But you don’t trust me.”

“No, no. I do…”

“I feel a ‘but’ coming on.”

Harry sighed and released Peter. “Look at me.”

Peter turned around and did so. Harry put his hands on Peter’s shoulders.

“I have to tell you something, Peter. Today when that Electro guy attacked, I… I got this feeling… like a type of dread. I kept thinking of you, kept thinking that you were in trouble or you were involved somehow.”

“Pictures,” Peter said quickly. “I take pictures.”

“I know. I knew that. It’s… It’s more than that, Pete. You were involved somehow. You know that. I know it too. I just can’t remember how.”

“Har…”

“No.” Harry moved his right hand to Peter’s cheek. “Don’t lie to me. You know. Tell me. If you do I’ll never doubt you again, but you have to tell me the truth.”

Peter sighed. So he hadn’t really forgotten anything. Now what should he do? On the one hand he liked keeping his identity a secret. Liked Harry’s innocence. Liked his friend not knowing about Peter’s double life or Harry’s own late father’s. God, a talk about Norman. That was what Peter dreaded more than Harry knowing his own identity.

He didn’t want to tell him, but was that fair? Was it fair to keep Harry from his own memories just because Peter was scared?

And now there was this ultimatum. He didn’t want to do this. He really didn’t want to do this. But…

“Okay,” Peter said. “The truth is…”

Ring! Ring!

The doorbell. Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Who-?”

“Oh! My Aunt May. I almost-”

Harry sighed.

“-Forgot. I-”

“It’s okay.”

“But-”

Ring! Ring!

“Go out. Have fun. You can tell me later.”

“Well, if you say so.” Peter walked to the door, Harry trailing behind him. “Aunt May?”

“Hello, Peter!”

“I’ll be there in a minute.” Peter smiled as he opened the door. “Hi, Aunt M- uh…” his smile fell, and he could only imagine what Harry’s face looked like. “MJ? Mrs. Watson? What are you doing here?”

“I invited them, Peter,” May’s blue eyes twinkled as she grinned.

“Really? I… I thought it was going to be just you and me.”

“Well it was, dear. But I hadn’t seen Mrs. Watson in so long, so I invited her along. And I know you and Mary Jane are friends, so she did the same.”

“You don’t mind, do you Peter?” asked Anna.

“I, uh…”

“Of course he doesn’t mind,” interjected Harry. “Why would he? He gets to spend time with Mary Jane, after all.”

Mary Jane just glared at Harry.

“Um, is something the matter here?” asked May.

“Actually, yes,” said Peter. “Do you think I could bring Harry along? I kind of cancelled some plans we had to be with you. But now that we’re bringing friends I wouldn’t want him left alo-”

“Thank you, Peter,” snapped Harry. “But I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Good enough for me,” muttered Mary Jane.

“Are you sure, Harry?” asked May. “We really wouldn’t mind.”

“Please,” added Peter.

“I said I’d be fine. Go, okay? Just go.” Harry turned back into the apartment.

“Har!” Peter rushed to his side and whispered in his ear. “I didn’t know about this, I swear. I really thought it was going to be just me and Aunt May.”

“I’m sure you did.”

“Come with us, please.”

“Why? So you can feel better about spending time with MJ?”

“No. So you can.”

“Forget it.”

“Please. If nothing else, come so we can find a way to tell May about us.”

“No.” Harry pushed Peter away and walked to his room. “No.”

Harry’s door shut with a firm finality. Peter hung his head and walked back to the group. “He doesn’t want to come.”

“Oh…” May briefly lowered her eyes with disappointment. Then she smiled again. “Well, we better get moving if we want a good seat.”

May made her way down the hall, Anna following close behind. Mary Jane stayed at Peter’s side as he locked the door.

“I didn’t want to come,” Mary Jane said. “But my aunt insisted… I had to.”

Peter shook his head. “No, you didn’t. You didn’t have to come. He didn’t have to stay home, either.”

“Peter…”

But by then, Peter wasn’t listening. He turned away and followed the old women, leaving Mary Jane feeling alone.

And guilty.

To be concluded…


	4. Chapter 4

White walls turned gray as the oncoming dusk dimmed the apartment. It was nearly five and most of the citizens of New York City had turned on their lights, creating pinpoints of yellow against the city’s darkening silhouette.

It was these points of yellow that Harry Osborn watched as he sat in front of the apartment window, body hunched over, forehead dripping with perspiration.

God, he’d kill for a fix.

Harry wiped his brow with his sleeve and turned back to staring blankly at the skyline. He’d tried watching TV before but he couldn’t seem to concentrate. His entire body was screaming for a drug, any drug.

“Cold turkey,” he reminded himself. “I’m going cold turkey.”

He could do it. He once knew a guy who’d been able to quit smoking by staying in bed for a day. This was the same thing. Think about something else, he told himself. Think about…

About what? How he didn’t trust Mary Jane with Peter? How she was with him and he was stuck at home trying to think up ways and reasons not to get high?

God, he hated- okay, he didn’t hate her, but that night out had all the makings of a set-up. Harry, Peter and Mary Jane all knew that Anna and May had eyes to get Peter and Mary Jane together before. Now that Gwen was gone, who was to say they weren’t…

Then again, who was to say they were?

Damn it! Peter was his boyfriend.

Harry sighed. Maybe he was being unreasonable with this whole MJ thing. He was still mad at himself for yelling at Peter like that. Yet he had to admit there was a lot of truth in what he said before. Harry had been suspicious of Peter ever since the fight between Spider-Man and Electro. And the worst part was he didn’t know why.

Maybe he should have insisted Peter tell him…

Maybe he should have gone with him…

Oh, he couldn’t do this anymore!

Harry stood up from his chair, his legs shaking as he did so.

(Come on, Harry. One foot in front of the other.)

Now where did he hear… oh yes, that night. That beautiful, horrible night.

What happened, anyway? How did he fall asleep next to Peter and wake up in the hospital? Well, not quite. He knew he woke up. He must have if Peter and he and… and his dad went to the warehouse.

“Why the heck were we there anyway?” Harry wondered. “I was still sick. And if Dad was going to give us a tour of anything, it’d be the office buildings or the labs. What would be so great about a chemical warehouse? Well, maybe if Peter was doing an experiment but… No, that doesn’t make any sense, either.”

Harry shook his head and wiped his brow again. What the hell were they doing there? And why did it bother him so much?

The young man’s heart was beating hard in his chest as he turned the knob on his bedroom door. He felt so sick. So dizzy. And these thoughts, rather than causing him to concentrate on something other than his pain, only seemed to make it worse.

“Oh, Jesus…” he muttered. C’mon. He could make it. Just a few more steps to the door.

(Come on, Harry. One foot in front of the other.)

He stepped forward. The room spun again. Harry moaned and slid to the floor.

God, he couldn’t do this. He just couldn’t do this. He needed something… anything.

Harry thought for a minute. The joints were all gone, but maybe he still had a pill or two in the medicine cabinet. Harry grasped the knob on the door and made his way to the bathroom.

~*~*~

“So, did you enjoy that book I lent you?”

“Oh yes, I loved it!” May Parker smiled as she drank a sip of water. “That one boy in it… What was his name? Oh yes, Daniel Saunders. He reminded me of you, Peter.”

“Really?” Peter stared blankly at a couple on the other side of the room. The girl giggled wildly as her boyfriend tried to steal a kiss.

“He was so bright… so full of potential,” continued May. “Of course, he and his father didn’t have the lovely relationship you and Ben had but the intelligence reminded me of you…”

“Have you ever read The Chosen, Peter?” asked Anna.

“I don’t really have time to read these days.”

“Mary Jane,” said May. “How about you?”

Mary Jane’s red head finally rose up from the plate it had been hovering over for the last half-hour. “What?”

“Have you ever read The Chosen?”

“Nope.”

“Oh… well, you should. It’s very good.”

Silence fell over the table for the eighth time that night. May and Anna glanced at each other as their respective nephew and niece mechanically ate their dinners.

“Umm…” Anna coughed. “I’m going to go freshen up. I’ll… I’ll be back in a moment.”

“I’ll come with you,” said May, her voice tinged with a hint of eagerness. With that, the two women rose from the table and left.

Mary Jane looked up. “Will you talk to me, please?”

Peter kept eating. He glanced at the couple and saw that he’d caught her.

“Look, I know you’re mad and trust me, I’m not exactly happy either, but if we don’t talk they’re going to make us. You know them.”

Peter sighed. “Fine. What do you want?”

“Why are you mad?”

Peter just looked at her. “‘Why am I-’ God MJ, I…” Peter sighed. “Nevermind.”

“What?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“It’s this, isn’t it? It’s me going with you. Peter I couldn’t help that, I…”

“Oh, give me a break,” Peter grumbled. “You think I didn’t notice how you treated him?”

“How I- Peter, he called me a slut! I don’t care if he is your boyfriend-”

“Funny,” Peter said. “I thought I was his boy toy.”

Mary Jane winced. “Okay, so that was going a bit too far. But it’s not like he’s innocent!”

“True.”

“Uh-huh. And he started-”

“You’re both acting like children.”

Mary Jane’s mouth hung open for a minute. Peter just sighed and stood up.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I hear the Bugle calling me. Tell Aunt May I’ll visit her tomorrow.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yep.”

“No, you’re not! Sit back down.”

But Peter was adamant. He turned from the table and shot out the door.

Mary Jane stared at the table dumbfoundedly. Her red eyebrows curled in anger. “No way!”

A clang rang out through the restaurant as Mary Jane slammed her fork against the table. She heard a few people whisper after her as she walked across the room and slammed the door behind her.

She flew down the street after Peter, who was still walking away. “Mr. Peter Parker, if you think I’m going to sit in there and make up a stupid excuse for you after what you said to me, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“Leave me alone,” Peter said without turning around. “I don’t have time for this now.”

Mary Jane groaned and ran up to Peter, grabbing him by the shoulder and spinning him around. “You know what, Peter? You’re my friend. You’re one of my best friends. But you can be a real jerk sometimes. You’ve been a real jerk this past month. Now, you were in pain and I understand that, but I don’t deserve this.”

“MJ…”

“Shut up! I am not the bad guy here! I am not the one who threw a hissy fit when he learned you were gay. I…” Mary Jane sighed and turned away. “Nevermind. I… I’m sorry. I lost my temper. I…”

Mary Jane stopped when she felt Peter’s hand grasp her shoulder.

“Don’t be sorry.”

Mary Jane turned around.

“You were right about me being a jerk this past month. And it’s okay that you lost your temper. I shouldn’t have left you there. And you haven’t deserved a lot of what you’ve been getting lately.”

Mary Jane smiled weakly as Peter put down his hand.

“You are a good friend, Mary Jane.”

“Thank you.” Mary Jane pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I really meant what I said about you being my best friend, Peter. You were all my best friends. You, Flash, Harry, Gwen. I really loved you guys…” Mary Jane turned her face to the side and said in a small voice, “I still do…”

“Well,” Peter said cautiously. “If you still love Harry, why not…”

“Oh, Peter! He hates me.”

“I don’t think that’s true. He’s just a bit suspicious considering…”

Mary Jane rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s comforting!”

“No, MJ. I mean it. I’m sure that if you just talk to him…”

“Talk to him? Peter, every time we talk it turns into a screaming match.”

“But maybe if I’m not there…”

“It won’t matter.” Mary Jane sat down on the curb. “No matter what I do or say he still thinks of me as some sort of boyfriend-stealing harpy.”

“He’s not so misunderstanding.”

“No, but he’s bloody stubborn.”

“That I’ll give you,” Peter smiled and sat next to her. “But can we try, Mary Jane?”

The young woman hugged her legs. “I don’t know…”

“Please?” asked Peter. “You said you’d work on Flash for us. I can work on Harry, but I need your help.”

Mary Jane said nothing. She stared at her feet. A cold breeze ruffled her red hair. Finally, she spoke. “Let’s finish our dinner, Peter. Let’s go back inside and have a nice dinner with Aunt May and Aunt Anna. Then I’ll come home with you. And I’ll talk to Harry."

~*~*~

A short time later, May Parker smiled as her nephew’s lips brushed against her cheek.

“Thanks Aunt May,” said Peter. “That was fun.”

“Well, I’m glad, dear. I had a fun time too.”

“Good-bye, Mrs. Watson.”

“Good-bye, Peter” Anna turned her arms to Mary Jane, which her niece accepted gratefully. “Call me soon, Mary Jane.”

“Sure will, pretty lady.”

Peter smiled weakly as he caught Mary Jane’s wink. It was strange how Mary Jane could switch from angry to happy so quickly.

He wished he could do that.

“Well,” Mary Jane continued. “Peter and I are going to go. See you later.”

“Bye!” May and Anna waved as their nephew and niece walked down the street and out of their sight.

“Well,” smiled Anna. “That evening really turned around. I wonder what happened.”

May shrugged. “You never can tell with children. Trust me, Anna. I could live to be a hundred and Peter would still find some way to surprise me.”

“I don’t doubt it, May. I don’t doubt it.”

~*~*~

Peter and Mary Jane didn’t talk as they left for the apartment. They just walked, side by side, not touching each other, Peter sending Mary Jane a slight smile every once in awhile (to which she responded with an unenthusiastic smirk). They just walked.

The two reached the apartment in a little less than an hour. As they descended the stairs, Peter finally spoke.

“I really appreciate this, Mary Jane.”

“Yeah, yeah. Be quiet before I change my mind.”

Peter laughed. “Point take…” His voice trailed off.

Mary Jane’s eyebrows furrowed. “What is it?”

Peter looked around nervously. His spider-sense was tingling. But why? What could be…? Oh God…

“Peter, what’s wrong?”

“Harry’s in trouble. I don’t know why or what from, but…”

No more words were spoken. The two flew up the stairs as fast as possible. Peter quickly pulled a key out of his pocket and opened the door.

“Harry!” Peter called out. No answer. “Harry!”

Mary Jane stepped up behind Peter. “Maybe he went out for something.”

“What kind of ‘something?’” asked Peter.

Mary Jane gulped. “Let’s check the rooms.”

Peter rushed over to Harry’s door while Mary Jane glanced in the bathroom.

“Nothing,” she said to herself. Well, not quite nothing. The medicine cabinet was open and an open bottle sat on the edge of the sink.

Mary Jane kept looking. Peter was still fiddling with Harry’s locked door, so she checked in Peter’s room.

Her green eyes widened when she looked inside. “Oh, this can’t be good.”

Meanwhile, Peter, realizing Harry’s door wasn’t going to open any time soon, rammed his shoulder against it. The door gave instantly.

Harry lay at the foot of his bed, half-dressed and barely conscious. His body was slicked with sweat, his blue eyes glazed over.

“Oh God!” Peter rushed to Harry’s side and tapped his arm. “Come on. Speak to me, Harry. Come on, I’ll call the doctor. Just… just…”

A whisper. “… Peter…”

“Yes, I’m here.”

Here.

Harry turned to Peter, his eyes opening slightly. “Peter…”

Peter grasped Harry, pulling him to his chest. His eyes shut tight as he held him. He was okay. Oh, thank God. He was okay.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” said Peter. “I’ll get you a doctor. I’ll help you. You’ll be fine again before you…”

“I don’t need a doctor, Peter.”

“What?” Peter separated himself from Harry, hoping to get a glimpse at his eyes, but Harry’s head just slumped on his shoulders. “Don’t be like that. You need to be detoxified. I know you may not think you want to, but…”

“… but you can make it all better, can’t you Peter?”

“I can, but…”

“You can capture my father, Peter. You’re sure of it, aren’t you?”

Peter suddenly felt cold. “Har…”

“Sure of it. Sure. Sure, I trust you. You told me your secrets, Peter. Secrets you never told anyone. Why would you lie to me now?”

Oh no. “Harry, I…”

“Oh, but you can make it better, right Peter?” Harry raised his head. Even through their drug-addled glaze, Peter could see the rage in Harry’s eyes. “Why don’t you fuck me and make it better? Your bed or mine this time Spider-Man? Or do you prefer Spidey?”

Peter’s heart was racing. His tongue tried to fumble out an explanation. “I… look, I… I can explain.”

“Shut up!” Harry pushed himself away. “Just shut up, Peter. What’s wrong with you, anyway? Did you think I was stupid or something? Did you…” a soft sob escaped Harry’s lips. “I thought I was crazy, Peter. I kept getting these thoughts. Spider-Man and the Goblin… I…”

Peter tried to say something, but couldn’t. Harry’s arms wrapped around him and Peter awkwardly hugged him back.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Harry squeezed Peter tighter. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Peter felt like he was frozen. What could he do? What could he say? “I… I’m sorry, Harry. I…”

The young man stopped when he heard the sound of footsteps. Peter’s sense of stability dropped another ten points when Mary Jane entered the room. His Spider-Man costume was draped across her arms like a burial shroud.

“I take it he found this, huh Tiger?”

~*~*~

“You did right by calling us,” said Dr. Admonson. He sat in one of the chairs in the waiting room, adjusting it so he faced Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. “I won’t lie to you. Your friend is in bad shape. But he’s in safe hands now.”

“How long will he still be here?” asked Peter.

The old doctor sighed. “His arm hasn’t suffered any further damage. Detoxification will take at least a few weeks. But if you want my advice, I suggest you both try to convince him to enroll in a rehabilitation clinic. This is his third overdose, yes?”

The both of them nodded.

“Right. And has he taken any drugs since his last overdose?”

“Well no,” Peter said. “I don’t think…”

“A friend told me he was smoking pot,” said Mary Jane.

Peter stared at her.

“I see,” said Dr. Admonson. “I’ve dealt with addicts before. Ultimately, if Harry has any hope of getting better, he must help himself. But I commend you both for being here for him. He’ll need friends in a time like this.”

“Yes,” Peter whispered. “He will.”

With that, the doctor left. As soon as the door clicked close, Peter frowned.

“So what else do you know about my life that I don’t?”

“I’m sorry, Peter…”

“When did you find out?”

Mary Jane lowered her eyes. “Years ago. It was the night your uncle died. I saw you run into the house… and Spider-Man came out.”

Peter’s head slumped. He covered his eyes, and then got up.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Mary Jane.

“No, I…” he turned back to Mary Jane. “I need some time to think.”

The door creaked open and clicked close again. And once again, Mary Jane was alone.

~*~*~

Many hours later, Spider-Man stepped into the clutter of his apartment. A few chairs were knocked over. More than a few drawers had been opened and ransacked. Clothing littered the floor, as did the sheets of the pull-out couch which one of them forgot to take to the Laundromat today.

Peter took off his mask and walked into his room. The door to his closet had been broken in Harry’s drug-addled, adrenaline-powered raid. Mary Jane had found his spare costume sprawled across the floor earlier, and even now he could see his webshooters and spare cartridges added to the mess of scientific and photographic equipment.

Peter bent down and began to pick his things off the floor, replacing what was intact to its right place and piling the garbage in a neat pile.

It didn’t take him long to clean his room and it took him even less time to sweep up the garbage. Then he started on the other rooms, replacing furniture, cleaning and throwing out the pills in the bathroom, piling up the laundry (he’d take it out before he brought his pictures to the Bugle tomorrow).

When he finally swept up the last speck of dust in the kitchen, he looked out and over the apartment. It looked perfect. Like nothing had ever happen.

And, without knowing why, Peter began to cry.

~*~*~

Beep!

“Hey, handsome. It’s me. Listen, I just wanted to know if you got my last message about Harry but… well, I guess you’re not home now. Listen…I don’t know how you feel about all this but… call me, okay? Bye!”

~*~*~

Peter Parker closed his eyes and lifted his face towards the shower nozzle. The warm water beat down on him, forming rivers over his face and chiseled body. He ran his fingers through his wet, brown hair. Then he reached for the soap.

Dr. Admonson had called earlier. Harry was awake and making good progress, but somehow Peter couldn’t bring himself over there. He’d kept busy. He did the laundry. He dropped off the photos. He patrolled the city and caught some black couple robbing a store (Didn’t they say something about working for Electro? Hmm… some people will say anything for attention.).

Still, throughout it all he thought of Harry. Maybe he should have told him earlier. Maybe he should have pressed him harder to come to dinner. Maybe then he wouldn’t have been so desperate…

Peter scrubbed his chest, allowing the soap to bubble up and slide down his body. Then again, Mary Jane said that Harry had been smoking pot for the past month. Maybe it was inevitable.

The young man sighed and worked on his arms and legs. He then passed the soap over his genitals, scrubbing the smooth shaft and the hair at its base. This was a nightmare. Why didn’t Harry tell him about the pot? How could Mary Jane have known about him being Spider-Man for so long and not said anything?

He reached for the shampoo. Maybe he was the stupid one. God, but… if he hoped for anything, he hoped he wouldn’t have to face this. He’d lost Gwen. Did he have to watch Harry kill himself?

It was done. Peter’s heart felt heavy as he turned off the shower. He grabbed a towel off the rack and dried himself, moving towards his bedroom as he did so. Peter then threw the towel in his hamper and opened his drawers. Underpants. Shorts. Shirt. Dressed.

Ring! Ring!

Peter turned. The doorbell? But who would be visiting now?

Ring! Ring!

Shrugging, Peter walked to the door. His eyes almost bulged out of his head.

“Flash?”

The former jock smiled at Peter’s surprised expression. “Hey, Parker. Can I come in?”

“Um, I guess…” Peter closed the door as Flash walked inside.

Flash looked over the apartment. “Place looks neat.”

“Yeah, I just cleaned it yesterday,” Peter said awkwardly. “Flash, what are you doing here?”

Flash kept looking around the room. “I heard about Harry.”

“Oh,” Peter frowned. “So now you care?”

Flash whirled around. “Hey, I-!”

“You what?” Peter challenged. “I thought I was a… what? Insane fag? Something like that?”

“I never said that! … Well, maybe I did, but-”

“But what?”

Flash sighed. “Look, Parker… Peter. I don’t particularly like this, okay? I think this is gross and stupid and… Damn it, how can you just change like…?”

“We didn’t just…”

“Whatever. It…” Flash shook his head. “I don’t like this, okay. But… but I can deal with it.”

Peter looked at Flash strangely.

“Look, Peter. Harry’s a pal. And well… he could do worse than you, I guess.”

“Was that a compliment?” Peter smirked.

Flash gave him one right back. “Don’t get used to it. But I… well, look. I talked to him a bit when you guys weren’t speaking and, well, he puts a lot in you, Peter. A lot of trust and hope and… well, a lot of the obvious, I guess.”

Peter laughed. “And you said you didn’t like this? You just made a joke.”

“Eh… Anyway. My point is I think he’ll be okay. Just… you know…” Flash looked Peter right in the eyes. “Don’t screw it up.”

Peter just stared back at Flash. Easier said than done.

“Well,” said Flash. “I better get going.” He moved to the door, but then turned back. “Good luck, anyway.”

~*~*~

“Hello, Harry.”

Harry’s eyes widened when he saw his ex-girlfriend standing at the door. “Oh… hi. What… what are you doing here?”

“I… I just came for a visit. If that’s all right.”

“I guess…”

Mary Jane pulled a chair up near the side of the bed. “They treating you well here?”

Harry shrugged. “Well, the food’s awful and I think they forgot the back on this outfit but other than that it’s okay.”

“Heh.” Mary Jane smiled for a moment. Then she straightened her face. She waited for Harry to say something. Nothing. “We need to talk.”

Harry sighed. He would have rather told her to go away, that he didn’t want to see anybody for the next twenty years. But- “Yeah, I guess we do.”

Mary Jane nodded. “I-”

“So-” Harry said at the same time.

“You first,” said Mary Jane.

“Well, I don’t really know where to… well…” Harry glanced at the window. “How much did you see, anyway?”

“I saw how you left Peter’s room, but to be honest, I knew that already.”

Harry’s face blanched. “You mean he told-”

“No. I… I’ve known for awhile now. He never told me.”

“You figured it out on your own, then?”

Mary Jane shook her head. “My Aunt lives next to him, remember? One time I saw Peter go into the house and… well, you-know-who left through the window. Right place at the right time, y’know?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Yeah…”

Harry hung his head. “Does… Does anyone else know?”

“Doubt it. I’m don’t even think Gwen knew. She’s a far better actress than I’ll ever be if she did. But, to be honest, I don’t think he was planning to tell anyone.”

Harry paused. “He told me.”

Mary Jane started. “What?”

“He told me.” Harry leaned back on his pillow. “Yes… he told me earlier… before my amnesia. I… I remember him telling me because… because of Dad.”

Mary Jane frowned. “Your dad?”

“Yeah, he… he…” Harry sighed. “He was… MJ you… you remember that guy on the news? The one who killed…”

Mary Jane gasped. “Harry!”

“He… he was going to catch him. Bring him in because of… because of what he did… and, well, he… he wanted me to know first.”

Mary Jane stared at her lap. “Why did you tell me that?”

Harry shrugged. “Well, you asked. And I figure if you knew about Peter and never told anyone then you can know about… about Dad and not tell anyone. Plus, I… I guess I’m just tired of secrets for a while.”

Mary Jane raised her head. Harry turned towards her and for the first time in months, the two ex-lovers looked into each other’s eyes.

“I’m sorry I hurt you, Harry.”

Harry nodded. “Me too.”

Mary Jane stood up. “I… I think that’s enough talking for today.”

“Yeah.”

“You want me to come back tomorrow?”

“It…” Harry paused. “Yeah, it’d be nice.”

“Okay.” Mary Jane walked to the door.

“Mary Jane?”

She stopped and turned to Harry.

“Is Pe-” Harry sighed. “Never mind.”

“I think he will.”

Harry smiled. “See you tomorrow, Mary Jane.”

“See you tomorrow, Harry.”

~*~*~

A few short hours later, Peter Parker heard a knock at his door. Mary Jane stared back at him when he opened it.

“I did it.”

Peter blinked. “You did what?”

“I talked to him, handsome.” Mary Jane flicked back her hair. “It went better than expected.”

Peter smiled weakly. “Thank you.”

Mary Jane tilted her head. “What’s wrong now?”

“I…” Peter sighed. “I don’t know, I’ve just been thinking.”

“You haven’t gone to see him yet,” Mary Jane remarked.

“I know.”

“You should.”

“I know.”

“Well, when-”

“Soon.”

Mary Jane nodded. “Okay.” She turned to leave. Peter closed the door behind her.

He turned away. Another knock. He opened the door again.

“It wasn’t your fault, Peter.”

“MJ…”

“None of it was. He would have done it anyway.”

“I don’t know that.”

Mary Jane shook her head. “Just go see him, okay? Harry did ask for you.”

~*~*~

Harry Osborn thought it was a trick of the light at first. Like the sun streaming through the blinds of his apartment in the morning, the fluorescent lights of the hospital streamed through the slits of his eyelids. He blinked and stretched to make sure he was awake. Alive. But it wasn’t a dream.

Peter was here.

Peter was here and Peter was smiling. Harry couldn’t help but smile back.

“You’re late again.”

“Not really. I got here before you woke up. That still counts.”

“Heh.” Harry shook his head. “You really are amazing, Peter. After the way I behaved…”

“No, I… I was wrong. I should have told you about it earlier.”

Harry sighed. “Peter, Mary Jane visited me today. She said you don’t tell anybody about being… well, you know. You don’t, do you? We’re the only three people who know, right?”

Peter nodded. “I hope so, at least.”

“But why, Peter? You could have told me. I wouldn’t have told anyone. I… I should have known. My dad and my best friend fighting I… why didn’t you tell me? I could have handled it.”

“Well, I… I know, but…”

“But what?”

“I…” Peter sighed. “Harry, I’ve been doing this since I was fifteen. And, well, I won’t say there isn’t a lot I love about being… him. But most days it’s more trouble than it’s worth.”

Peter exhaled. Harry’s face was neutral as he continued to listen.

“I… Well, come on. Do you think I like being late for everything? Missing dates? Missing class because some psychopath in a jumpsuit has me stuck in some cage of death? I miss you guys, Har. I want to go out and have fun but most days I just can’t and… well, you can, Harry. You can go out and have fun and not have to worry if Electro’s ready to short out the city or Dr. Octopus is out to kill you. And…” Peter hung his head. “And I didn’t want to take that away from you.”

Peter didn’t look up. Harry paused, then frowned. “You didn’t want to… god damn it, Peter! He was the Green Goblin! My father was the Green Goblin and you… because you wanted me to be some ignorant kid?”

“Innocent…” Peter mumbled.

“Inno-” Harry sputtered. “Jesus Christ, Peter. I’m your best friend. Your lover. I love you. I… We’re supposed to tell each other everything. We’re supposed to be equals. I don’t need to be protected.”

“Maybe,” agreed Peter. “But you weren’t exactly telling me everything, either.”

Harry’s face turned pale. “I…”

“Mary Jane said you’ve been smoking pot for the last month, Harry.”

It was Harry’s turn to look ashamed. “I… I was going to quit.”

“‘Going to’ being the operative words?”

Harry sighed. Peter placed his hand over Harry’s.

“I guess we’re both guilty then. Huh, Peter?”

“Yeah.”

“I… I’m sorry. I… Like I said, I meant to quit. I just got so mad and… and…” Harry caught Peter’s gaze. He slumped in embarrassment. “…And I don’t have an excuse. I’m just sorry. Do… Well, what should we do?”

“What do you think, Har?”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. I… I need help, don’t I?”

Peter nodded. “If that’s what you want. I’ll help you. If… If you’ll let me, at least.”

Harry smiled. “Thank you, Peter.”

Peter smiled back. “I, uh…” he picked up a brown bag. “I got us this to eat on the way over. I figured you’d be sick of hospital food.” He reached inside and took out something wrapped in aluminum foil.

Harry opened it. “Pork roll! Food from the dump?”

“Only the best for my princess.”

Harry made a face. “I don’t care what kind of mutant spider powers you have, Peter. If you call me that again, I’ll…”

“Mutate spider powers.”

“What?”

“Mutate spider powers. I’m a mutate, not a mutant.”

Harry scoffed. “What’s the difference?”

“Mutants are more or less born with their powers. Mutates get them from an outside source.”

Harry stared at Peter blankly.

“Well, see. When I was fifteen years old I went to this scientific demonstration on radioactivity…”

Peter continued to talk and Harry continued to listen. And it went on like that for the next hour, the young men talking and listening as they ate. Somewhere along the line one of them locked hands with the other. Soon things would change. Peter would be going home soon. Harry needed medical care. May would have to be told about them and their relationship and their friendships with Flash and Mary Jane still need patching.

But for now, none of that mattered. They were together. They were honest and they were close.

And for now, their hands would not let go.

The End.


End file.
